Amedeo Clemente Modigliani

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (1884-1920) was an Italian Sephardic Jewish painter and sculptor born in Poland. He worked mainly in France (educated in Florence and Venice), and established himself in the famous Montmartre area of Paris. Modigliani sketched rapidly, sometimes drawing over 100 sketches in a day, but many of his works were lost, given away, or in some cases, destroyed by Modigliani himself. His favorite subject was by far the human form, characterized by elongation and mask-like faces. In 1916, Modigliani befriended the Polish poet, writer and art dealer Leopold Zborowski (1889-1932) and his wife Anna (Hanka Zborowska). Born in Zalishchyky into a Jewish family, Zborowski was Amedeo Modigliani's primary art dealer and friend during his final years, organizing his exhibitions and allowing the artist to use his house as an atelier. He wrote letters to Modigliani in concern for his health and on January 31, 1920, Leopold told Modigliani to go to a sanatorium for his tuberculosis. Zborowski witnessed Modigliani's final moments. Modigliani met Lunia Czehowska in 1916. This Polish woman and her husband, Casimir, were old friends of Leopold Zborowski and his wife, Hanka. Modigliani was very fond of Lunia and he painted at least ten portraits of her. In her "Souvenirs," Lunia recounts an event that took place in 1919, citing that while she was working in the kitchen preparing dinner, Modigliani drew a sketch of her by the light of a candle. After a few moments she lifted her head and he was finished. This lot is similar in composition to Modigliani's pencil and watercolour portrait, Jean Cocteau, 1918, which was sold at Farsettiarte on November 28, 2015 (lot 573). This drawing was also inscribed by Leopold Zborowski in the same manner as this lot.