1884-1920. Italian artist, active in Paris
from 1906. He painted and sculpted graceful
nudes and portrait studies. His paintings
have a distinctive elongated, linear style.
The portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne 1919
(Guggenheim Museum, New York) is typical.
Modigliani was born in Livorno. He was
encouraged to sculpt by Constantin Brancusi,
and his series of strictly simplified heads
reflects a shared interest in archaic
sculptural styles. He led a dissolute life
and died of the combined effects of
alcoholism, drug addiction, and tuberculosis.