TORONTO, CANADA.- Modigliani: Beyond the Myth is the first solo exhibition in Canada to present paintings, drawings and sculptures by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920). The Art Gallery of Ontario will be the exclusive Canadian venue for this exhibition of over 80 works by the artist who produced 20th-century masterpieces of modern art and inspired a bohemian legend. Having already caused lineups around the block at The Jewish Museum in New York, Modigliani: Beyond the Myth will be on display at the AGO through January 23, 2005.

The subject of a soon-to-be-released film starring Andy Garcia, Modigliani’s short life was marked by tumultuous romantic affairs, drug and alcohol abuse and, above all, immense talent. As with other artists who enjoy cult-like status, Modigliani has generated a legion of false or embellished anecdotes. By interpreting the work of Modigliani, the exhibition looks beyond these sensational stories that have come to characterize the artist.

Focusing on the sources that contributed to his unique style and his self-identification as a foreigner and Sephardic Jew in early-twentieth-century Paris, Modigliani: Beyond the Myth provides multiple approaches to understanding the man and his art. Organized by The Jewish Museum, New York and made possible by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation, the exhibition draws on loans from such esteemed institutions as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and Tate Gallery, London. The show includes 55 of the works originally on view at The Jewish Museum and an additional 32 works from other lenders.

"With Modigliani: Beyond the Myth, the AGO continues to explore and communicate new ideas about art," said AGO Director and CEO Matthew Teitelbaum. "This exhibition is an intriguing new look at an artist who is much loved, but often misunderstood."
Featuring well-known paintings, drawings and sculptures from private and public collections in North and South America, Europe, Israel, Japan and Australia, Modigliani: Beyond the Myth includes examples of the artist’s early work, but concentrates on his now legendary 14-year career in Paris. Modigliani lived just 35 years. He was born to a Sephardic Jewish family in the Tuscan port town of Livorno, Italy in 1884 and died of tubercular meningitis in Paris in 1920. In the cosmopolitan setting of Livorno, he was steeped in humanistic ideals and enlightened Jewish thinking. Already trained as an artist by the time he arrived in Paris in 1906, and thoroughly familiar with Italian Primitive, Renaissance and Mannerist artists, he incorporated the lessons of his predecessors into his own distinctive twentieth-century modernist painting vocabulary.

In Paris, Modigliani travelled in the same circles as many other modernist artists, including Pablo Picasso, without wholly adopting their styles. During this time the late portraits of 19th-century French master Paul Cézanne became the single most important influence on his development. Modigliani remained essentially independent of any artistic movement and became known for portraits characterized by elegantly elongated features. At the same time, his brazen reclining nudes became a source of controversy.

Although Modigliani is best known as a painter, sculpture was his real ambition. He studied the work of sculptors Andrea del Verrocchio, Michelangelo and the 13th-century Sienese artist Tino di Camaino. His sculpted heads reveal stylistic affinities with African tribal art and the early stone carvings of his friend Constantin Brancusi.

While Modigliani has traditionally been discussed as a leading member of the School of Paris, this exhibition instead considers his individuality both artistically and culturally. While celebrating his distinctive modernist style, the exhibition demonstrates how the artist’s highly focused body of work - consisting almost entirely of portraits - reflects his intellectual background and the visual heritage of Italy to which he felt a profound connection. Modigliani: Beyond the Myth is an unparalleled opportunity to examine the work of one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic and compelling artists, whose singular vision still resonates powerfully today.

After its presentation at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Modigliani: Beyond the Myth will travel to The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. where it will be on view February 26 to May 29, 2005.