Great Regulars: The problem is that, even in [Meryle] Secrest's

own telling, the chaos of [Amedeo] Modigliani's world is more than "apparent." The fight with [Alfredo] Piña really did happen, as did many, if not quite all, of the exploits attributed to Modigliani: not just glamorous ones like the legendary affair with Anna Akhmatova, but the years of alcoholic penury when he would exchange his drawings for drinks, and the many nights when he was discovered passed out on the street or in his studio. The best Secrest can do in the way of vindication does not change the overall picture.

from Adam Kirsch: Tablet: Makeover

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