The layout and color reproductions are quite good, considering the book's modest size. Werner Schmalenbach comments on the artist's charming paintings, their historical background and influence on comtemporaries, as well as key events in his life. The text is illuminating, lively, and unpedantic-- as Rousseau would have liked it. Also, the price is right. .... Get it! (Even though the book is out of print, I have seen several copies in art museum shops.)

Congratulations to Prestel, the publisher, for making Pegasus Library books available to the wide public-- great art books which are kind to the wallet.

It is unfair of me to give a headline as above, and then write a paragraph of my opinion, but this is the necessary confines of our situation.

Modigliani's art is quite unique from all other art in Paris between 1900-1920. He was barely influenced by the other artists at the time. This is his strength. What the author of this book seems to want to prove is that Modigliani's work is somehow lessenned by its lack of innovativeness. Many of us disagree.


The author is also attempting to challenge well known truths of Modigliani's work. The author challenges Modigliani's worth as a sculptor and dedication to it. It is fairly widely known that Modigliani gave up sculpture because of health reasons, not dedication reasons.


The author also attempts to take Modigliani's art without taking in the effects of his life, so he has misunderstood Modigliani's nudes and sculpture as a whole.


I do not mean to say that the author is a poor writer, or even a poor art critic. He is a very poor judge of Modigliani, that is a fact. That is not just my opinion.