Modigliani: Colour Library by Douglas Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The artist emerges from examination of the artworks
A duality of writing style gives this study of Modigliani a delightful chiaroscuro. Whereas the biography of the artist is tightly constrained to the available information, texts accompanying the artwork plates are indulgent with interpretation and opinion.
After apologies for the lack of facts about the early life of Modigliani, the chronology of the artist is delivered with an appealing tone of slight distain towards those biographers who embellish the artist’s life. Phrases like “as his legend has it” highlight guesswork. Consequently and correctly, one learns of Modigliani’s creative side – the pulling in different directions due to health and circumstances – but not much of the artist as a person. There is little in the biography of Modigliani’s emotional character nor his interrelation with others. Especially with the gifted student, artist’s model and tragic lover Jeanne Hébuterne. This is commendable honesty.
A strong sense of Modigliani’s search for his style of artistic expression comes from the freer interpretations associated with each artwork. This stretches to surmising the artist’s attitude towards the subjects of the portrait paintings. Reference is made to the absence of recorded philosophising by Modigliani about his art, and him not fitting recognised styles of the period. Here also is distain for those who pigeonhole Modigliani’s works, adding modifier phrases such as “what has been called, very loosely indeed, his ‘cubist’ style”. This is not divisive commentary but adds a charming lightness for the casual reader.
This is an art book worth reading as well as looking at.
wocNotes 