Amedeo Modigliani is a famous Italian impressionist painter. His paintings are so original that they cannot be confused with anything else. Actually, the artist is considered an impressionist because of the great emotional richness of his works. But in France, where the artist lived, he was greatly influenced by the great French painters Picasso, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec. Therefore, Modigliani is often called the artist of the Paris school.
Childhood
Amedeo Modigliani was born in Italy in a family of Jews Flaminio Modigliani and Eugenia Garcín. He was the fourth child in the family. The family did not live well, and the artist’s mother, who had lived in France for a long time, was forced to earn extra money by translations from the French language. She instilled in the future artist a love for everything French, and this greatly helped Amedeo in the future. Modigliani’s mother kept a diary, thanks to which we know a lot about the life of the future artist. In childhood, Amedeo was often ill, and once, having barely recovered from a serious illness, he decided to become an artist.
Study
After recovery, parents allowed the future artist to drop out of school and enter the Academy of Arts in Livorno. Amedeo was fourteen years old, and he was the youngest student on the course. Education in Livorno did not completely satisfy the young artist, and he, along with his friend Oscar Giglia, went to study first in Florence, and then in Venice. According to some reports, already in Venice, the artist became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and these addictions have been haunted by masters all his life.
Life in Paris
At the beginning of 1906, Modigliani moved to Paris, which at that time was considered the center of world art. The artist’s skill in Paris grew steadily, but his paintings remained without public attention. Modigliani often needed money, but, nevertheless, led a bohemian lifestyle, had many friends and patrons. In Paris, the painter became interested in sculpture, his works were original and attracted attention.
World War I
In 1914, the First World War began. Modigliani was eager for the front, but he was not taken for health reasons. Already at that time, the artist was sick with tuberculosis. Modigliani remained in France and continued to create. The main part of his works at that time were portraits that were successful. Modigliani also organized an exhibition of his works in the nude genre, but the exposition was dispersed by the police a few hours after the opening.
