AFRICAN ART

HEAD (1911 - 1912) BY MODIGLIANI

At a young age Modigliani went to the marble-quarries in Carrara to learn the skills of sculpting. Later, he became fascinated by the traditional sculptures of Africa and Oceania. These influences are instantly recognizable in this head carved from stone. It is a sanctuary portrait, its shape determined by the perfect vertical lines. It has a meditative and sacred appearance and in this respect it has links with Modigliani's Hebrew background. Amedeo Modigliani's work is recognized immediately by many people because of the typical elongated shapes. His paintings show his passion for sculpting, a craft which he had to give up in 1915 due to ill health. He was born in the Tuscan town of Livorno and received his academic education in Florence and Venice. In 1906 he established himself in the famous Montmartre area in Paris, where his talent was instantly recognized by the East European avant-garde. He had a short and eventful artistic life (1884-1920), he was extremely driven and longed for recognition. But his life was also marked by alcoholism, metaphysical fears and progressive tuberculosis. At the age of forty, Modigliani left the world an oeuvre that shows a sincere, obsessive search for truth and purity within art.