Modigliani Unmasked A Must See at the Jewish Museum

Weekends in New York City.

Always something new and interesting to explore and discover in the ever changing cultural and culinary landscape.

Another opportunity for a mini staycation.

Up early to take a Flywheel class with the effusive and driven Ms. Emily Burkhardt who is one of the best spin instructors around.

We wobbled out of class, cleaned up and walked the 3 miles across Central Park to the Jewish Museum on 92nd Street to see the engaging new exhibit, Modigliani Unmasked on display from September 15th through February 4th, 2018.

The museum is situated in an imposing townhouse, a beautiful, unique setting to display great art.

Modigliani Unmasked features early drawings by Amedeo Modigliani (Italian, 1884-1920) that were acquired directly from the artist by Dr. Paul Alexandre, his close friend and first patron.

Who knew Modigliani was so hot.

Many of the works are being shown for the first time in the U.S. and showcase his work shortly after he arrived in Paris in 1906, when the city was still roiling with anti-Semitism after the long-running tumult of the Dreyfus Affair and the influx of immigrants.

Surprisingly, I learned that Modigliani identified primarily as a sculptor more so than as a painter.

There are multiple stunning sculptures on display.

His paintings are iconic and feature the elongated facial structure that he is known for.

Modigliani succumbed to tubercular meningitis at the age of 36.

Two of Modigliani’s fellow artists made a death mask before his burial in the renown Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

The Jewish Museum is free on Saturdays and pay what you like on Thursday evenings from 5-8pm.

The Modigliani Exhibit is well worth the visit.

Afterwards, we strolled over to the 96th Street subway to catch the #6 train to SoHo.

Another new experience.

Since it was so warm, we took 95th Street to stay in the shadows during the sunny, humid day.

We ended up on the most gorgeous upper east side street, between Madison and Lexington, showcasing amazingly restored classic townhouses.

After a 6 minute wait (when it is 100 degrees underground you are aware of early single second) the #6 pulled up and we stepped into a wide ass coach with maaaavelous AC.

I was hoping to take the cool ride for hours, but 30 minutes later we were at our Bleecker Street stop.

We stepped out on Houston Street and only had a minute walk back into the 1950’s.

Emilio’s Ballato has been serving amazing Italian food since 1951.

You will have to wait until next week for a full review of this delicious institution.

Satiated, we strolled through the Feast of San Gennaro which showcases more Italian food.

We made our way through a very crowded SoHo and arrived at the #1 train.

Another Saturday in NYC where we fed our head, stomach and pushed our bodies to the limit.

By the way, the only cash output was spent on lunch and 2 subway rides.

The NYC adventure was beyond satisfying.