Character Relationship Map: Modigliani

Characters

• Amedeo Modigliani (played by Andy Garcia) — protagonist

  An impoverished Italian Jewish artist in 1919 Paris. He loves Jeanne Hébuterne and fathers a child with her. To rescue his baby from a convent, he enters an art competition, wins with a portrait of Je...

• Jeanne Hébuterne (played by Elsa Zylberstein) — protagonist

  A young French Catholic girl who becomes Modigliani's lover and the mother of his child. She supports him through his hardships and washes the blood from his face after he is beaten. Following Modigli...

• Pablo Picasso (played by Omid Djalili) — supporting

  A prominent artistic rival of Modigliani in Paris. Initially refusing to compete, he is indirectly persuaded to sign up after Modigliani does. He submits a cubist portrait titled 'Modigliani' to the a...

• Zborowski (played by Louis Hilyer) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Amedeo Modigliani → Zborowski (Professional Agent) — Zborowski represents Modigliani professionally and handles the delivery of his entry.

  After completing his entry, Modigliani calls his agent and dearest friend, Zborowski, to take the painting to the competition.

• Amedeo Modigliani → Jeanne Hébuterne (Romantic Lover) — Their love is the emotional center of the story and remains central through their final tragedy.

  The plot states that Modigliani has fallen in love with Jeanne and that they live as a couple with a child.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Amedeo Modigliani → Pablo Picasso (Conflict Artistic Rival) — Their rivalry drives the competition storyline and frames Modigliani's artistic struggle.

  The film centers artistically on Modigliani's relationship to and rivalry with Picasso in Paris.

Story Analysis

An impoverished artist risks everything for love, family, and artistic recognition, but victory arrives alongside irreversible tragedy.

Plot Progression

1. Love Beneath The Poverty — Modigliani and Jeanne live together in Paris and have a child. When the child is sent to a distant convent, Modigliani searches for a way to raise money for the family.
2. The Rivalry Takes The Stage — The annual art competition offers a possible escape from poverty. Modigliani's desperate decision to sign up also draws Picasso into the contest.
3. A License And A Last Drink — Modigliani completes his portrait of Jeanne and entrusts it to Zborowski. He obtains a marriage license, but celebration and addiction cause him to lose control of the evening.
4. Victory In The Snow — Modigliani rushes toward the competition after realizing he is late, but two men assault him for money. His painting nevertheless defeats Picasso's entry.
5. Buried Together — Jeanne cleans Modigliani's wounds before his friends take him to hospital. He dies, Jeanne commits suicide, and the couple are buried together with their unborn child.