Modigliani and the Artists of Montparnasse [Hardcover]

Kenneth Wayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2002

Famous for his elongated forms, graceful portraits and lush nudes, Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) is among the most loved of the extraordinary group of international artists who lived in Montparnasse in the early 20th century. Accompanying the first major Modigliani exhibition in the US in over 40 years, the book moves beyond the romantic myths that have sprung up around the artist's tragically brief life, aiming to provide a fuller, richer understanding of his art as well as the role of Montparnasse in the development of modern art. In addition to 64 paintings, sculptures and drawings by Modigliani, the volume features works by other Montparnasse artists such as Brancusi, de Chirico, Soutine and Picasso. The book also includes excerpts from a novelette written by one of Modigliani's lovers about their experiences together. This volume provides a serious examination of Modigliani's work with fresh documentation.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

There hasn't been a major American touring retrospective exhibition of the works of Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920), the Italian-born artist who lived in Paris from 1906 until his death, in more than 40 years. Wayne, a curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, the source of the exhibit, presents a timeless catalog that showcases 41 paintings, 9 sculptures, and 14 works on paper, and commentary that suggests Modigliani has incorrectly been seen as a romantic figure who died unrecognized and tragically young. In three meticulously documented essays, Wayne demonstrates Modigliani was, in fact, taken seriously by the top artists and intellectuals in the Parisian expatriate art community of his day. He documents 18 showings of Modigliani's work, including one solo show; quotes favorable reviews; and describes collectors who purchased Modigliani's work. Wayne's discoveries will change our view of Modigliani, and make this an indispensable volume. Victor Cassidy
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Kenneth Wayne is a Curator at the Albright-Knox Gallery, where he is in charge of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art. Previously, he was the Joan Whitney Payson Curator at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine. He has also worked in the curatorial departments at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the University Art Museum at the University of California at Berkeley. Among the many exhibitions he has organized are Impressions of the Riviera: Monet, Renoir, Matisse and their Contemporaries and Picasso, Braque, Leger, and the Cubist Spirit, 1919-1939.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1st Ed. edition (October 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810932474
• ISBN-13: 978-0810932470
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,728,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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