My South African wife, who came to me late in life, is Jewish, and has spurred many new interests in me, one of which is a fascination of the many awesome accomplishments of Jewish artists. One of my favorites is Amedeo Modigliani. Modigliani was born in Italy in 1884. He went to Paris in 1906, and quickly became friends with Bohemian artists Chaim Soutine, Maurice Utrillo, and Pablo Picasso, among others. Unfortunately, he also formed a close acquaintance with absinthe, hashish, and the ladies. He died of tubercular meningitis in 1920. He was only 35.
