Modigliani was born in 1884 in Livorno, Italy, to a Sephardic Jewish line of intellectual aristocrats — they traced their lineage to Spinoza — and fiscal bunglers. Although by the time he came along family fortunes had long since evaporated, he tended to carry himself like a prince. And the experience of having survived a series of childhood health crises, including tuberculosis, only increased his sense of exceptionalism.
Unsurprisingly, he viewed artists as privileged beings. At 17, he wrote that as a species they had “different rights, different values than do normal, ordinary people because we have different needs which put us — it has to be said and you must believe it — above their moral standards.” Many adolescents play with such ideas. Modigliani went on to live them.
He went to art school briefly but ended up being largely self-taught, and gave himself a good education. He had an avid and eclectic eye, and at an early age he was absorbing Cézanne, African sculpture and Italian Renaissance painting, with Botticelli and a school of exquisitely stylized Sienese religious artists as influences.
In 1906, he moved to Paris, where he staged rather a grand entrance. While most young artists new on the scene took what quarters they could find, he set himself up in a good hotel and dressed like a dandy. The impression he gave of enjoying independent means was at that point not entirely false. An uncle who had had some financial luck left him a modest inheritance. And even when that ran out, Modigliani maintained appearances.
In art circles, hashish, cocaine and opium were as common as wine. And as time went on, people who knew Modigliani commented on his increasing and excessive use of such substances, often basing their observation on changes in his appearance (by the time he reached his 30s he was losing his teeth) and on episodes of aggressive public hostility.
It is exactly on the subject of Modigliani’s reputed self-destructiveness that the revisionist crux of Secrest’s book lies. She is at pains to dispel the idea that a descent, sometimes depicted as willful, into alcoholism and drug addiction was the primary cause of his decline and death at such an early age.Rather, she says, he consciously used intoxicants as a cover to hide a “great secret,” that being the recurrence of his tuberculosis. In remission since childhood, it now returned full-blown, accompanied by symptoms like spasmodic coughing, stretches of lassitude and bouts of erratic behavior.
Modigliani, terrified of the social ostracism that would result if he were known to have the highly contagious disease, deliberately fostered a reputation as an alcoholic and addict to prevent detection. This cover allowed him to freely drink the wine that soothed his coughing, use the drugs that gave him energy to work — his output of paintings surged in his last years — and pass off as drunk and disorderly any irritable or violent outbursts.
It has long been accepted among art historians that tubercular meningitis was the immediate cause of Modigliani’s death, and Secrest doesn’t claim to bring fresh information to this medical history. What she clearly hopes to do, though, is replace the popular myth of the crash-and-burn genius who created art despite himself with the image of an artist who perceived his fate and took calculated steps to prolong and protect his life.
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Portrait of the Brother of the Painter Micheli 1899 |
The Tuscan Road 1899 |
Bearded Man 1905 |
Dancer 1905 |
Woman's Head with Beauty Spot 1906 |
Head of a Woman with a Hat 1907 |
Portrait of a Woman 1907 |
Portrait of Maude Abrantes Hecht Museum 1907 |
Woman's Head in Profile 1907 |
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Female nude with Hat 1908 |
Head of a Young Woman 1908 |
Seated nude 1908 |
The Jewish Woman 1908 |
A suffering nude 1909 |
Beggar Woman 1909 |
Jean Alexandre 1909 |
Maurice Drouard 1909 |
Paul Alexandre, Left Hand in His Pocket 1909 |
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Portrait of Jean Alexandre 1909 |
Portrait of Paul Alexander on green background 1909 |
Portrait of Paul Alexandre 1909 |
Seated nude 1909 |
Study for The Cellist 1909 |
The Amazon. Horsewoman 1909 |
The beggar of Livorne .Peasant from Lovorno 1909 |
The Cellist 1909 |
The Typographer. Pedro 1909 |
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Joseph Levi 1910 |
Portrait of a Young Girl 1910 |
Young Woman 1910 |
Bust of Manuel Humbert 1910-1912 |
Anna Akhmatova 1911 |
Anna Akhmatova 1911 |
Caryatid 1911 |
Nude 1911 |
Standing Nude 1911 |
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Head 1911-1912 |
Caryatid 1912 |
Caryatid 1912 |
Portrait of Paul Alexander 1912 |
Standing Nude 1912 |
A red bust 1913 |
Big Red Buste. Leopold II 1913 |
Caryatid 1913 |
Caryatid 1913 |
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Caryatid 1913 |
Nude Caryatid 1913 |
Portrait de Paul Alexanders 1913 |
Standing Caryatid 1913 |
Standing nude with Garden Background 1913 |
Study of a Head 1913 |
Rose Caryatid. Audace 1914 |
Beatrice Hastings Leaning on Her Elbow 1914 |
Beatrice Hastings 1914 |
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Madame Pompadour 1914 |
Portrait of Diego Rivera 1914 |
Portrait of Diego Rivera 1914 |
Portrait of Diego Rivera 1914 |
Portrait of Frank Burty Haviland 1914 |
Portrait of Frank Haviland Burty 1914 |
Georges Chéron 1915 |
A Head 1915 |
A woman with velvet ribbon 1915 |
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Alice 1915 |
Andre Rouveyre 1915 |
Antonia 1915 |
Beatrice Hastings, Seated 1915 |
Beatrice Hastings 1915 |
Beatrice Hastings 1915 |
Bride and Groom. The Couple 1915 |
Fat Child 1915 |
Head of Red-haired Woman 1915 |
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Leon Indenbaum 1915 |
Little Girl with Hair 1915 |
Little Louise 1915 |
Madame Othon Friesz. La Marseillaise 1915 |
Man's Head. Portrait of a Poet 1915 |
Woman's Head 1912 |
Paul Guillaume, Novo Pilota 1915 |
Pierre Reverdy 1915 |
Pierrot. Self Portrait as Pierrot 1915 |
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Portrait of a Man with Hat. Jose Pacheco 1915 |
Portrait of a Woman 1915 |
Portrait of a Woman 1915 |
Portrait of a Young Girl. Louise 1915 |
Portrait of a Young Woman, Seated 1915 |
The Italian Woman 1917 |
Portrait of Beatrice Hastings before a door 1915 |
Portrait of Beatrice Hastings 1915 |
Portrait of Celso Lagar 1915 |
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Portrait of Chaim Soutine 1915 |
Portrait of Henri Laurens 1915 |
Portrait of Henri Laurens 1915 |
Portrait of Juan Gris 1915 |
Portrait of Moise Kisling 1915 |
Portrait of Moise Kisling 1915 |
Portrait of Picasso 1915 |
Portrait of Picasso 1915 |
Portrait of Raymond 1915 |
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Raimondo 1915 |
Reclining Nude, Head Resting on Right Arm. Nude on a Couch 1915 |
Redhead girl 1915 |
Rosa Porprina 1915 |
Seated nude 1915 |
Serving Woman. La Fantesca 1915 |
Teresa 1915 |
The Fat Child 1915 |
The Pretty Housewife 1915 |
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The Red Head 1915 |
Woman Seated by a Fireplace 1915 |
Woman with Velvet Ribbon. The Black Border 1915 |
Woman's Head. Rosalia 1915 |
Woman's Head 1915 |
Woman's Head 1915 |
Woman's Head 1915 |
Young Woman in a Small Ruff. Jeune Femme a la Collerette 1915 |
Portrait of o boy 1917 |
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Bust of a Young Woman. Mademoiselle Marthe 1915-1920 |
A Blond Wearing Earrings 1916 |
A woman with white collar 1916 |
A young girl 1916 |
Almaisa 1916 |
Anna. Hanka Zabrowska 1916 |
Bust of Manuel Humbert 1916 |
Chaim Soutine 1916 |
Female nude 1916 |
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Head of a Young Girl. Tete de Jeune Fille 1916 |
Large Seated nude 1916 |
Leopold Zborowski 1916 |
Lolotte. Head of a Woman in a Hat 1916 |
Lolotte 1916 |
Madame Dorival 1916 |
Manuel Humberg Esteve 1916 |
Margarita seated 1916 |
Max Jacob 1916 |
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Max Jacob 1916 |
Moïse Kisling 1916 |
Monsier Deleu 1916 |
Monsieur Lepoutre 1916 |
Nude on sofa. Almaisa 1916 |
Paul Guillaume 1916 |
Portrait of Beatrice Hastings 1916 |
Portrait of Beatrice Hastings 1916 |
Portrait of Beatrice Hastings 1916 |
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Gaston Modot 1918 |
Portrait of Leopold Zborowski 1916 |
Portrait of Madame Reynouard 1916 |
Portrait of Margarita 1916 |
Portrait of Moise Kisling 1916 |
Fillette à la blouse blanche 1915 |
Portrait of Oscar Miestchanioff 1916 |
Portrait of Paul Guillaume 1916 |
Portrait of Pinchus Kremenge 1916 |
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Portrait of the painter Manuel Humbert 1916 |
Portrait of the Photographer Dilewski 1916 |
Reclining nude with Arms Folded under Her Head 1916 |
Seated Algerian Almaiisa 1916 |
Seated female nude 1916 |
The Beautiful Confectioner 1916 |
The Blue-Eyed Boy 1916 |
The Servant 1916 |
Boy in a Striped Sweater 1918 |
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Viking Eggeling 1916 |
Woman with Scottish Dress 1916 |
Young Girl Wearing a Rose 1916 |
A girl in yellow dress 1917 |
Adrienne. Woman with Bangs 1917 |
Adrienne. Woman with Bangs 1917 |
Blonde nude 1917 |
Cafe Singer 1917 |
Chaim Soutine 1917 |
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Chakoska 1917 |
Count Weilhorski 1917 |
Doctor Devaraigne 1917 |
Elena Picard 1917 |
Girl in a Green Blouse 1917 |
Head of a Woman 1917 |
Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz 1917 |
Jeanne Hebuterne in Red Shawl 1917 |
Jeanne Hebuterne with Hat and Necklace 1917 |
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Jeanne Hebuterne with Necklace 1917 |
La Patronne 1917 |
Le grand Nu. The great nude 1917 |
Leopold Zborowski with a walking stick 1917 |
Louise 1917 |
Lunia Czechowska 1917 |
Lola de Valence 1915 |
Madame Georges van Muyden 1917 |
Madame Zborowska with clasped hands 1917 |
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Marcelle 1917 |
Minoutcha 1917 |
Madame Amédée. Woman with Cigarette 1918 |
Nude Looking over Her Right Shoulder 1917 |
Nude on a Blue Cushion 1917 |
Nude seating on a sofa. La Belle Romaine 1917 |
Nude with Coral Necklace 1917 |
Nude with Necklace 1917 |
Oscar Miestchaninoff 1917 |
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Portrait de madame L 1917 |
Portrait of a girl. Victoria 1917 |
Portrait of a Girl 1917 |
Portrait of a Woman in a Black Tie 1917 |
Portrait of Anna Zborowska 1917 |
Portrait of Blaise Cendrars 1917 |
Portrait of Chaim Soutine 1917 |
Portrait of Doctor Devaraigne 1917 |
Portrait of Elena Pavlowski 1917 |
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Portrait of George Ortiz 1917 |
Portrait of Jean Cocteau 1917 |
Portrait of Jeanne Herbuterne 1917 |
Portrait of Leon Bakst 1917 |
Portrait of Leopold Zborowski 1917 |
Portrait of Leopold Zborowski 1917 |
Portrait of Lunia Czechowska in white blouse 1917 |
Portrait of Madame Kisling 1917 |
Portrait of Madame Zborowska 1917 |
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Portrait of Pardy 1917 |
Portrait of the Mechanical 1917 |
Reclining nude 1917 |
Reclining nude 1917 |
Reclining nude 1917 |
Reclining nude 1917 |
Reclining nude from the Back 1917 |
Reclining nude with Blue Cushion 1917 |
Reclining nude with folded arms behind her head 1917 |
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Reclining nude with Left Arm Resting on Forehead 1917 |
Recumbent nude 1917 |
Seated nude 1917 |
Seated Nude 1917 |
Seated nude with a Shirt 1917 |
Seated nude with Necklace 1917 |
Sleeping Nude with Arms Open. Red Nude 1917 |
The Blue Blouse 1917 |
The Mistress 1917 |
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Venus. Standing nude 1917 |
Woman of Algiers. Almaisa 1917 |
Woman with a Black Tie 1917 |
Woman With a Necklace 1917 |
Woman with earrings 1917 |
Woman with red hair 1917 |
Woman with White Coat 1917 |
Madame Hanka Zborowski Leaning on a Chair |
Young Girl in a Striped Shirt 1917 |
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Woman Sitting in Blue Dress 1917-1919 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
A young girl 1918 |
A Young Girl with a Black Overall 1918 |
Boy in Shorts 1918 |
Burgundian Woman 1918 |
Dark Young Woman Seated by a Bed 1918 |
Dr François Brabander 1918 |
Elvira with a white collar 1918 |
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Germaine Survage with Earrings 1918 |
Girl in a Sailor's Blouse 1918 |
Girl in the shirt. Red-haired girl 1918 |
Girl with Blue Eyes 1918 |
Girl with Pigtails 1918 |
Gypsy Woman with Baby 1918 |
Head of a Girl 1918 |
Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
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Leopold Zborowski 1918 |
Little Girl in Black Apron 1918 |
Little girl in blue 1918 |
Lunia Czechowska 1918 |
Lunia Czechowska with her left hand on her cheek 1918 |
Madame Hanka Zborowska 1918 |
Madame Zborowska 1918 |
Man with a Glass of Wine 1918 |
Man with a Pipe. The Notary of Nice 1918 |
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Marie, daughter of the People 1918 |
Nude on a Divan 1918 |
Paulette Jourdain 1918 |
Pierre Edouard Baranowski 1918 |
Pierre Edouard Baranowski 1918 |
Portrait of a Woman 1918 |
Portrait of a Young Woman 1918 |
Portrait of a Young Woman 1918 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
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Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne in a Blue Chair 1918 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne in a large hat 1918 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
Portrait of Lunia Czechowska 1918 |
Portrait of Madame Survage 1918 |
Portrait of Morgan Russell 1918 |
Red-headed Girl in Evening Dress 1918 |
Redheaded woman wearing a pendant 1918 |
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Seated Boy with Cap 1918 |
Seated Jeanne Hebuterne 1918 |
Seated nude 1918 |
Seated Young Woman 1918 |
Seated Young Woman 1918 |
Servant Girl 1918 |
Sitting man on orange background 1918 |
Standing nude. Elvira 1918 |
The Artist's Wife 1918 |
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The Black Dress 1918 |
The Boy 1918 |
The Caretaker's Son 1918 |
The Little Peasant 1918 |
The Man with the Monocle 1918 |
The Pretty Vegetable Vendor 1918 |
The Servant Girl 1918 |
The young apprentice 1918 |
The Zouave 1918 |
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Two girls 1918 |
Woman with a Green Necklace. Madame Menier 1918 |
Woman with a Red Necklace 1918 |
Woman with Blue Eyes 1918 |
Young Farmer 1918 |
Young Girl in Beret 1918 |
Young Girl Seated 1918 |
Young Girl with Blue Eyes 1918 |
Young woman 1918 |
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Young Woman in a Yellow Dress. Madame Modot 1918 |
Young Woman of the People 1918 |
Annie Bjarne 1919 |
Boy in a Blue Shirt 1919 |
Cypress Trees and House 1919 |
Flower vendor 1919 |
Frans Hellens 1919 |
Girl in Blue 1919 |
Girl with a polka-dot blouse 1919 |
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Grande Venus. Reclining Nude 1919 |
Gypsy Woman with a Baby 1919 |
Hanka Zborowska 1919 |
Jeanne Hebuterne with a scarf 1919 |
Jeanne Hebuterne 1919 |
Jeanne Hebuterne 1919 |
Jeanne Hebuterne in a Hat 1919 |
Jeanne Hebuterne in a Yellow Jumper 1919 |
Jeanne Hebuterne with white collar 1919 |
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Landscape, Southern France 1919 |
Landscape 1919 |
Little Serving Woman 1919 |
Lunia Czechovska 1919 |
Lunia Czechowska 1919 |
Pink Blouse 1919 |
Portrait of a Polish Woman 1919 |
Portrait of a Woman 1919 |
Portrait of a Woman with a White Collar 1919 |
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Portrait of a Young Woman 1919 |
Portrait of Anna Zborowska 1919 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1919 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne with her Left Arm Behind her Head 1919 |
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1919 |
Portrait of Leopold Zborowski 1919 |
Portrait of Madame Rachele Osterlind 1919 |
Portrait of Marevna 1919 |
Portrait of Mario Varvogli 1919 |
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Blue Eyes. Portrait of Madame Jeanne Hébuterne 1917 |
Reclining nude with head resting on right arm 1919 |
Red-haired young man 1919 |
Roger Dutilleul 1919 |
Seated woman weared in blue blouse 1919 |
Seated Woman with Child. Motherhood 1919 |
Seated Woman 1919 |
Self Portrait 1919 |
The Singer from Nice 1919 |
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Thora Klinckowstrom 1919 |
Tree and house 1919 |
Woman with a Fan. Lunia Czechowska 1919 |
Young Man. Student 1919 |
Young Man with Cap 1919 |
Young Woman in a Shirt. The Little Milkmaid 1919 |
Young Woman in Blue 1919 |
Bust of a Young Woman 1920 |
Marios Varvoglis 1920 |