Writing in the 1950s, Modigliani's daughter Jeanne was only a baby when her father died. Nevertheless, her interest in her father's short life resulted in this biography - the fruits of Jeanne's researches and conversations with those who remembered him are now considered valuable by art historians. We learn of the artist's early years in Italy, his journeys and work in France, his romances and excesses, and the challenges he faced selling his works. Though he had friends to lend him money when times were hard, Modigliani constantly grappled with poverty and illness.

The final years of Modigliani's life saw his greatest yet most tragic romance, to the young art student Jeanne Hébuterne. A gifted painter in her own right, Jeanne fell in love with Modigliani and doted on him as his health faltered. When Modigliani expired from tuberculosis, Jeanne was inconsolable, and committed suicide two days later. It was not until the year 2000 that her artworks were showcased alongside her husband's, with the permission of her heirs.

This biography includes more than 130 examples of the letters and artworks of Modigliani that the reader may appreciate and observe how his unique art progressed with the years.