Amedeo Modigliani was the essence of a tragic artist. He sketched furiously; sometimes drawing over 100 sketches in a day; but many of his works were lost; given away; or in some cases; destroyed by Modigliani himself. His favorite subject was by far the human form; painting the likenesses of other artists; such as Pablo Picasso; Diego Rivera; Max Jacob; and Juan Gris; who all sat for the artist. His formal works are characterized an elongation of the human form and mask-like faces; and his work is so unlike any other of his time that it still defies classification. During his time; other artists imitated him by engaging in a self-destructive lifestyle; and still today; his fame lives on in 9 novels and dozen films.
#3953521 in eBooks 2016-01-28 2016-01-28File Name: B01B7QYW2W
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Gloria Deserved BetterBy terrohI was looking forward to this book as little has been written about this great star except for her autobiography years ago. The book is well researched; but rather dull. I have to agree with other reviewers; it doesnt really bring its subject alive or explain why she was such a big star in her time. The author also has an annoying habit of picking apart statements from her memoir when he has no real proof they are untrue; its just his opinion. The last third of the book reads like a travelogue of where Gloria went; what she wore and what projects she didnt do. It gets very tedious. Worth reading for those who dont know much about this forgotten star; but not half as good as Glorias memoirs. The definitive biography on Gloria has yet to be written; but this will do for now....3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Well doneBy CJSI enjoyed reading this bio on actress Gloria Swanson and felt the author tracked down numerous sources. He certainly pointed out discrepancies between the facts and what Gloria reported in her own autobiography Swanson on Swanson. Additionally; he interviewed many who knew or worked with Swanson to get their take. Unlike the other reviewers; I felt you did get a picture of someone who worked her way up but then once she became a star; she really went overboard ndash; not just with spending; but having herself carried to a film set in a sedan chair. As the films changed; she continued to ask for her high salary and had a hard time adjusting to less fame and less income. However; she always seemed to be doing her best to make money. At times she was working as a travel agent or with a line of clothes she had her name on. The success of Sunset Boulevard stereotyped her and after that she always seemed to be offered roles as a demented silent movie queen although she had a nice turn on Burkersquo;s Law and the Carol Burnett show. Her interest in eating healthy and staying away from white sugar came years before the current trend. I think the end of the book said it best in that during her later years; the remaining silent stars (Chaplin; Pickford; etc.) looked up to her as being a true screen legend. I had no problems with the writing style and the footnotes and bibliography were well documented. The author let us know what happened to her children but I would have liked to have known if any of her grandchildren took up acting. I would have liked more photographs as well. Overall; I thought this gave you a good look at the early history of film and one of its most glamorous (Swanson herself hated being called that) stars.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Swanson deserves much betterBy Donna HillReally dreadful. Poorly written; poorly researched; endless plot recaps; lacking in depth. In no way can this be considered a definitive biography. Poor Gloria.
