MODIGLIANI

I always loved the art works of Amedeo Modigliani. So this weekend brought about an impromptu trip to the Barnes in Philadelphia to see the exhibit before the show closes in two weeks and it didn't disappoint. Modigliani Up Close was a gem of an exhibition. Forty-two paintings of his and eight sculptures, all in from various museums and private collections were on view, to build upon what the Barnes has on view permanently. The show was a chance to indulge in the seduction of his work.

I love the subject matter, and his technique for some reason makes me feel a sense of happiness and a sadness, since many of his faces had empty black eyes. Modigliani developed a style that involved attention and abstraction of the human face and figure yet was able to represent a wide range of highly individualized posers. During the symposium, I learned one fun fact. Most of his early paintings, he was painting over canvases that had already been painted upon-sometimes canvases that had been painted on by a different artist even. But he often incorporated the underdrawings into his finished pieces. Of course, the artist himself was very handsome, and his own life lends itself to a Hollywood treatment. He came from a well-established Jewish family, with an academic education, moved to Paris in 1906, where he befriended Brancusi and Picasso, becoming part of the international circle of European expatriate artist. He cultivated a bohemian lifestyle, which included the consumption of a great deal of alcohol and drugs. It's believed he did this to either self-medicate, or cover the fact he had tuberculosis, which plagued him since childhood and what would eventually kill him at 35. A pregnant fiancée he was set to marry also flung herself from a fifth-floor window the day after his death only adds to the melodrama. No doubt, it was an enjoyable showing.

Of course, the Barnes Foundation building is a treat itself to be in. The museum has a wonderful design and a very minimal and relaxing design aesthetic. The original museum was started by Albert Barnes in 1922, who at the time amassed the largest private collection of art in the United States, and could be viewed at the Barnes, before moving from the grand old mansion on the Main Line in the late 90's, to its new location to downtown Philly on the Benjemin Franklin Parkway, which between the move and the design of the new museum was a controversy itself. I find it a rather nice place myself to spend time.