Artist brother, Amedeo Modgliani

In his short life (1884-1920) Amedeo Modigliani created a long series of images that settled profoundly into the collective imagery of 20th century. His family history is inextricably linked to the history of the making of Italy as a democratic country, and reflects the significant role that Italian Jews played in that process.

A silent dreamer, Amedeo, Dedo, Modì, is remembered through a famous portrait taken by Kiki (photographer of the Parisian Bohème and a model of Man Ray). The political activism, anarchism, and incarceration of his brother Mené, who battled tirelessly for universal suffrage, social justice, peace, and workers’ rights, were major influences in Amedeo’s life. So, too, was the independence of his mother Eugènie, an important element in his formative years.