Alfred Gockel

Amedeo Modigliani, one of the most popular artists of the 20th century, was born on July 12, 1884 into the family of Flaminio and Eugenia Modigliani, in Livorno (Leghorn), Tuscany. He was the forth and the youngest child in the family, which belonged to the secularized Jewish bourgeoisie. By the time Amedeo was born, the family business was in down, to go bankrupt some years later. Eugenia Modigliani, Amedeo’s mother, came from France. To contribute to the family income she gave private lessons and made translations. It was she who liked to create myths around the family and encouraged this trait in her younger son.