A groundbreaking, new perspective on the painters scandalous nudes. Among the most celebrated works of Modiglianis brief but brilliant career are his large-format nudes. Drenched in color and glowing with the artists deep appreciation of women and the female form, these works ushered in a new era of nude portraiture, while also causing an enormous scandal. This stunning exhibition catalog offers a new perspective on this aspect of Modiglianis work by examining for the first time his portraits of emancipated women sporting coupe garçonnes haircuts and wearing loin cloths. Modigliani was one of the first chroniclers of the femme moderne, which also influenced his nude painting and the scandal they caused. Featuring lavish reproductions and astute texts by leading scholars, this volume also examines Modiglianis cultural context in European Classicism, from Toulouse-Lautrec and Cezanne to the work of his contemporaries, including Paula Modersohn-Becker, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Jeanne Mammen and Wilhelm Lehmbruck; and traces his impact on future European Modernism and New Objectivity.

Christiane Lange is director of the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Germany.Ortrud Westheider is director of the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany.