“Modi” and Jeanne—A Tragic Tale

Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) - Jeanne Hebuterne - 1917-1918 - Oil on canvas - 39 1/4 x 25 1/2 in. (99.7 x 64.8 cm) - Private collection (click photo for larger image)Jeanne Hebuterne - Portrait of Amedeo Modigliani - 1918 Private collection Painting - oil on canvas Height: 47 cm (18.5 in.), Width: 33 cm (12.99 in.)One of the most tragic stories of art history is that of Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) and his muse and, later, wife, Jean Hebuterne. In the spring of 1917, the Russian sculptor Chana Orloff introduced Modigliani to the beautiful 19-year-old art student. Jeanne. Hébuterne was renounced by her devout Roman Catholic family for her liaison with the painter, and, later, for her marriage to him. Modigliani and Hébuterne eventually moved to Nice, and they had a daughter whom they named Jeanne (1918–1984). When Modigliani died on January 24, 1920, Hébuterne was pregnant with their second child. She threw herself out of a fifth-story window the following day--killing herself and their unborn child. Merrill Secrest’s book, written with unprecedented access to letters, diaries, and photographs never before seen, is an extraordinary revelation of a life lived in art. It’s called, “Modigliani: A Life”. Modigliani was also—clearly—Jeanne Hebuterne’s muse, as seen in this portrait of him.