Modigliani and Zadkine: a story of friendship at the Musée Zadkine

The exhibition dedicated to Amedeo Modigliani and Ossip Zadkine explores the friendship between these two major figures of the Parisian avant-garde.

Through 90 works – paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and period documents – the event retraces their cross-cultural paths in the heart of Montparnasse, between 1910 and 1920.

Artistic beginnings in sculpture

Modigliani and Zadkine met in 1913, sharing a fascination for sculpture and a common desire to break with academic codes. Modigliani, influenced by Brancusi, explored pure forms and references to ancient Egypt and African art. Zadkine, for his part, drew on these influences to develop his own style. Their works from this period, presented side by side, reveal striking similarities, notably in their search for ideal faces and sculptural forms.

The First World War turned their careers upside down. Modigliani, discharged from the army, gave up sculpture for painting, under the advice of art dealers. Zadkine, enlisted as a stretcher-bearer, endured the horrors of the conflict before resuming his artistic activity. At the end of the war, the two artists crossed paths briefly, before their paths parted once and for all with Modigliani’s untimely death in 1920.

Portraits and affinities at Montparnasse

Modigliani’s portraits, particularly of Zadkine, testify to their close ties and the richness of encounters in Montparnasse. These quick drawings, often done in cafés, illustrate the exchanges between artists such as Max Jacob and Chana Orloff. Zadkine treasures the portrait drawn by his friend, a key piece in the collection.

Zadkine and the legend of Modigliani

After Modigliani’s death, Zadkine actively contributed to the memory of his friend. In his writings and interviews, he shares memories of this fertile period, reinforcing the myth of the “Prince of Montparnasse”. Films, documents and personal accounts enrich this part of the exhibition, tracing Modigliani’s impact on the art scene.

The final part of the exhibition explores the architectural inspirations shared by the two artists. Modigliani imagined a “temple of voluptuousness” integrated into his sculptures, while Zadkine reinterpreted these motifs in his large-scale wooden works.

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