lovely
Amadeo Modigliani lived hard, died young, and is on display in London
The Jewish-Italian artist womanized, drank, and did drugs — and in his 35 years created an impressive oeuvre, now showing in a blockbuster exhibit at Tate Modern
Despite this, Modigliani’s output was considerable and his work is currently the subject of a blockbuster exhibition at Tate Modern, in London.
His major retrospective is the most comprehensive Modigliani exhibition ever held in the United Kingdom. With over 100 works, it brings together a range of his portraits, landscapes, sculptures and 12 of his iconic, languorous, female nudes, some of which have never been shown in the UK before.
These seductive figures, such as “Reclining Nude on a White Cushion” (1917), “Female Nude” (1916) and “Seated Nude” (1916) constitute many of his best-known works today. But in the early 20th century, the provocative paintings proved controversial, shocking the French establishment.
In 1917, they were included in Modigliani’s only solo exhibition in his lifetime, but were subject to censorship on grounds of indecency: A police commissioner objected to Modigliani’s depiction of pubic hair, finding it offensive [ . . . ]
Read full story at THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Amadeo Modigliani lived hard, died young, and is on display in London | The Times of Israel
Modigliani masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum
World famous painting goes on display after being loaned by the Courtauld Institute in London.
Female Nude, 1916′ by the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani is on loan from the Courtauld Gallery, London.
When the painting was initially shown in Paris a century ago it created a scandal.
An exhibition containing it and a number of other Modigliani nudes was closed by the French police.
However, the reception for the masterpiece on its first day of public display in Belfast was much warmer.
“Of all the various nudes that he did, this is one of the most important,” one early viewer told BBC News NI.[ . . . ]
Read Full Story at Source: Modigliani masterpiece on display at Ulster Museum – BBC News
Sorrow and Questions in a French Village After Anthony Bourdain’s Suicide
KAYSERSBERG, France — The suicide of Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef and television host, left the residents of Kaysersberg, a small village in the Alsace region of France, known for its wine, local food and architecture, puzzled about why he chose this place to end his life.
Mr. Bourdain’s sudden death at Le Chambard, a five-star hotel in the village, also sent shock waves through the world’s restaurant industry.
It spurred an outpouring among fans and foodies, too, who paid tribute on social media to a man who used food as a passport to understand other cultures and who used his star power to back the #MeToo movement, in which his girlfriend, Asia Argento, an Italian actress, was a central figure.
The French officials investigating the suicide said on Saturday that he had been found hanging in his hotel bathroom at 9:10 a.m. on Friday.
“The case is closed,” said Christian de Rocquigny, the local prosecutor in charge of the investigation. “There is no indication of any involvement by a third person, and we’re ready to give the body to his family.”
In interviews with hotel and restaurant employees and with local officials, a portrait of Mr. Bourdain’s last day in the medieval village, close to the German border, emerged.
Mr. Bourdain had been in Kaysersberg to shoot an episode for his CNN show “Parts Unknown.” The village has two Michelin-star restaurants and is in an area famous for its vineyards and its culinary richness.
But on Thursday night, he skipped dinner and did not show up for breakfast the next morning.
Maxime Voinson, 24, a waiter at the Winstub, a restaurant at Le Chambard, said Mr. Bourdain had dined there almost every night with his friend Eric Ripert, the chef of Le Bernardin, a three-star New York restaurant.
“They both stayed in separate rooms, and usually had breakfast and dined together at the Winstub,” Mr. Voinson said.
But on Thursday night, when Mr. Bourdain didn’t show up for dinner, he said: “Mr. Ripert thought it was strange. We thought it was strange. Mr. Bourdain knew the chef, Monsieur Nasti; he knew the kitchen. Maybe he went out and ate somewhere else, we said, but we didn’t think much of it.”
But on Friday morning at breakfast, Mr. Bourdain again didn’t show up. “His friend was waiting at breakfast, and waiting and waiting,” Mr. Voinson said.
Mr. Ripert tried to reach Mr. Bourdain on his cellphone, according to hotel staff. A receptionist then went to Mr. Bourdain’s room, where he was found hanging in the bathroom.
“This leads us to suspect that not much preparation and premeditation went into the act, and leads us more in the direction of an impulsive act,” said Mr. de Rocquigny.
Source: New York Times
Philippe Cousteau, Grandson Of Famed Explorer Jacques On The Hunt For Buried Treasure
Inspired by the legacy of his grandfather Jacques Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau and his wife Ashlan return for season 2 of their popular Travel Channel series Caribbean Pirate Treasure. It follows the fun-loving and adorable couple as they journey through the Caribbean, diving into haunted mysteries while exploring pirate history, all while searching for lost treasure [ . . . ]
Read more at FORBES: Philippe Cousteau, Grandson Of Famed Explorer Jacques On The Hunt For Buried Treasure
Pas De Merde 