Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) was a figurative artist who is best-known for his modern style paintings and sculptures. Born to mother Eugeinie Garsin in a Jewish family, his mother’s family lineage was traced to the 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Modigliani had an eye and heart for painting from a very early age. He thought he was already a painter when he was very young. Modigliani’s art works were characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form. During his early days of work, Modigliani was so much immersed into it that he drew as much as 100 sketches a day. Most of the sketches were lost; he gave some sketches to his then girlfriends who did not care to preserve them. He was deeply influenced by the writings of Nietzsche, Baudelaire, Carducci, Comte de Lautremont, and others. He started to believe that the only way to true creativity was through disobedience and disorder. When he moved to Paris, he started to behave reserved and also became addicted to drugs and alcohol. It was his addiction that led him to his deathbed. Modigliani focused more on his paintings than the sculptures. Modigliani’s Tete, a limestone carving of a woman’s head, became the second most expensive sculpture ever sold in June 2010. In November 2015, Modigliani's 'Nu Couché' (Nudo Sdraiato) sold for $170.4 million, the second highest price paid for an artwork at auction.
