A Different View of Modigliani: Retrospective at the Albertina

Throughout his life, Modigliani was barely able to finance himself with his works, as he placed the development of his own personal style above the application of fashionable art trends and thus appeared of little interest to contemporary collectors and galleries. The artist, who worked as a painter and sculptor, was regularly reported on in the press, but less in connection with his exhibitions than with his high consumption of alcohol and opium. Despite chronic tuberculosis, Modigliani, who came from a middle-class background, led an excessive life in self-imposed poverty - in his eyes a necessary sacrifice for art. He lived mostly in the artists' quarters of Montmartre and Montparnasse in Paris until he died of his illness in 1920 at the age of 35.

Modigliani's works combine references to the Renaissance with inspirations from studies of prehistoric and indigenous African art - called »primitive« back then. This interplay, unique in art history up to that time, established Modigliani's fame in the years following his death. Today, he is one of the most expensive artists at art auctions.

In the exhibition, Modigliani's works are compared with expressive paintings and sculptures by Picasso, Brâncuşi and Derain, with whom he was in exchange during his creative period, as well as with artefacts from non-European world cultures. Around 130 objects from lenders all over the world, including some of Modigliani's very few remaining sculptures, form the first Austrian solo exhibition on this extraordinary artist into a multifaceted retrospective that opens up a new perspective on the artist.