Modigliani contracted the disease in his youth—as his sister put it, “the doctor’s diagnosis held no hope”—and entered the world of Belle Epoque Paris at a time when, as Colt writes, “even kissing was to be avoided” due to contagion. Colt takes on the romanticized legend of Modigliani’s hedonism and substance abuse (“there is no hard evidence Modigliani spent his days in a drunken and drugged stupor”) without downplaying contemporary accounts of the artist’s “rowdy behavior.” The Modigliani that emerges in this telling is a relentlessly productive genius, given to muses and lovers, all too aware of his own mortality, an awareness heightened as war ravages Europe.
Colt balances extensive considerations of the history, treatment, and effects of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other illnesses with considerations of Modigliani’s work that draw smartly from a host of sources, critics, and contemporaries. A chapter on nudes is incisive, as are exploration of the artist’s relationships with his lovers and friends. Also strong: his rich evocation of bohemian life and the Montmartre, the storytelling tinged with romance but never lost in it.
Takeaway: Myth-busting biography of Modigliani, with an emphasis on the tubercular life.
Comparable Titles: Meryle Secrest’s Modigliani: A Life, David S. Barnes’s The Making of a Social Disease.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
A penetrating biography of one of history’s most acclaimed artists.
Colt paints a multidimensional portrait of an Italian master.
The author is a doctor, a scholar, and, as he writes in the preface, an art lover. All these facets come into play in this fascinating work in which Colt examines the life of Amedeo Modigliani through the lenses of the artist’s tuberculosis and other ailments, his struggles with alcoholism, and other factors that contributed to his bad-boy reputation. Colt aims to provide a “critical view of the interplay between his illnesses, his environment, and the social fabric of early twentieth-century Paris.” The book opens like a standard biography, juxtaposing Modigliani’s birth in Italy in 1884 with the rise of the bohemian culture that would flourish in Paris. As a child, he fought pleurisy and, later, typhoid fever, which he was diagnosed with soon after picking up drawing. Full immersion in the art world occurred after he recovered, and the text faithfully follows the young Modigliani from Florence to Venice to Paris, scrupulously charting the progress of the artist, who would die at age 35 and become known as a master. Along the way, Modigliani developed tuberculosis. Colt devotes five chapters to describing the disease (Modigliani survived, but the illness was a precursor to future demons, including drug and alcohol abuse and womanizing). This is material that, in a lesser writer’s hands, could feel like slogging through the mud; here, it is compelling fare from start to finish. The author’s background in medicine is evident throughout the narrative, but the medical lessons never get in the way—they add a dimension to Modigliani’s story that’s not always present in other books about him. Colt is an engaging writer who successfully penetrates the surface of his subject’s story—which, despite the author’s meticulous thoroughness, remains eminently readable. The book is exhaustive, though not exhausting, and stands as a definitive work about a complicated and remarkable artist who was “young, handsome, absurdly talented, charismatic, resilient…and troubled.”
A penetrating biography of one of history’s most acclaimed artists.
FIVE STAR REVIEW.
Amedeo Modigliani established himself as a highly skilled artist. His creations adorned the halls of notable individuals, and his skills were recognized by all those who regarded themselves as experts in European art. But beneath the breathtaking artwork was a man battling too many health problems to list. His eventual demise was the consequence of a lifestyle that cared little for the welfare of his body. Henri Colt's astute research has revealed a side to this extraordinary talent previously unknown to academics. This early experience could alter the perceptions of the young artist who passed away before the world could genuinely recognize his potential. Colt shares his findings with readers in Becoming Modigliani.In Becoming Modigliani, Henri Colt (MD) examines Amedeo Modigliani's early years and upbringing. He explores the artist's early life, citing extraordinary childhood experiences to shed light on the source of his unique talent. An astute reader will recognize from this thorough examination of the influence of other accomplished individuals—like Gabriele D'Annunzio—that Modigliani's respect for some of these people probably extended beyond their creations and lifestyles, which may have contributed to his demise. Colt skillfully explains the genesis of the illness that most likely took Modigliani's life and why the possibility of a straightforward cure was never on the cards for him, fusing the scientific study of Modigliani's works with artistic elements. Colt's explanations are succinct, encouraging readers interested in further research on the treatments of that era to check out the sources that make up the concluding sections. Colt highlights the qualities of a lost talent in a well-balanced and thought-provoking book.
