Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Modigliani & Verdun

Amedeo Modigliani
1884-1920


"During the early 1900s in Paris, the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, b. July 12, 1884, d. Jan. 24, 1920, developed a unique style. Today his graceful portraits and lush nudes at once evoke his name, but during his brief career few apart from his fellow artists were aware of his gifts. Modigliani had to struggle against poverty and chronic ill health, dying of tuberculosis and excesses of drink and drugs at the age of 35. "


A quote from Modigliani’s writings…


1919
“ ....The man that cannot leave behind everything that is old and rotten is not a man, but a bourgeois. You suffer, you are right, but can't suffering serve to find yourself and to make your dream stronger than your desire?......always let your aesthetic needs prevail over your social obligations.”

This is an insight to the artist that some claim is unquestionably the finest painter of nudes that ever lived.

I represent Artist, Quincy Verdun, who I have had quite a few disagreements with gallery sight seers about. The sight seers and I call them that, as they have no intention of purchasing, they would prefer to just criticize, say that Quincy’s work is almost copy cattish. I contend that Quincy is an extremely talented artist whose work is influenced by Modigliani. I am going to include several of Quincy’s pieces and several of Modigliani’s for your review.

I personally think that Quincy captures the “lusciousness” of the female form better than Modigliani. Of course, I don’t think that was Amedeo’s focus when painting nudes, so there again is a factor that separates the two artists. The difficulty as a gallery owner with such critisizm is that the sight seers are basically accusing me of selling knock –off pieces which definitely would then make them not fine art and not collectable. The reputation thing could be a potential problem; however I stand by all the Artists I represent; these are all fine original pieces of art. Yes I do see a simularity, but that is a good thing not something bad.

Now I just need to find someone who wants to purchase beautiful nudes. An interesting aside; I usually send out post cards announcing upcoming shows; I did not even think about it, but Quincy was questioned whether the postal service would deliver postcards with a Nude on the front. I asked the postman, he asked the Postmaster and No the US Postal System will not deliver them. I need to ascertain exactly why as I am sure if I purchased a bunch of Ruben's or Modigliani postcards from a museum that they would allow me to post them... Maybe it's an odd Louisiana thing, but I do intend to find out.



Modigliani

















Verdun






5 comments:

yellowdoggranny said...

ohhh I always liked modigliani much better..i like the face's better too..

Golden Beatle said...

Agreed. I like the top few better. They look more like me. ;)

Raspootin said...

ydGrand: Well That is why modigliani is in the museums I guess

Golden: You know you are a beautiful woman :)

unokhan said...

actually, modigliani has something of the llustrator about him.

you know this problem is as old as art, or as old as western art-- in asia they all copied each other and nobody worried too much about it.

everyone is a groupie. even the members of the band are groupies, because they have been influenced by somebody.

billy pilgrim said...

modigliani seems to like his models slightly more rubenesque.

which is nice.