Modigliani and his models

Both the Ofcom Consumer Panel and the Postwatch Council – the statutory consumer bodies on which I sit – do not have meetings in August, so this is going to be quite a quiet month for me. Today therefore I was able to visit the Royal Academy in central London to see the exhibition “Modigliani And His Models”.
Overwhemingly Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) painted portraits and most of them were of women. Although he is most famous for his nudes – and several of those are on display – most were of various clothed muses, notably Beatrice Hastings, Hanka Zborowska, Lunia Czechowska and Jeanne H&#233buterne. His style is very notable: elongated faces, necks and bodies and blank eyes like masks. It represents a strange, serene beauty.
In the courtyard of the Royal Acedemy is a giant sculpture by Damien Hurst: the stunning work called “The Virgin Mother”.


“The Virgin Mother” by Damien Hurst

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 8th, 2006 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Cultural issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Comments

  • Dana Huff
    August 8th, 2006 at 5:36 pm

    Roger, I read a short story by Susan Vreeland, in her collection Life Studies: Stories about Modigliani. I think you might enjoy that book, as well as the other of hers that I read, The Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Her website: http://www.svreeland.com/, where you can read more about her books.

  • emma
    August 8th, 2006 at 8:47 pm

    Oh, I went to that exhibition last week. It was great (and not just because the very dishy actor Hugh Dancy was there too 😉