Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 16 May 2018
Modigliani painting fetches

$157 million at auction

By VERENA DOBNIK Modigliani shocked Eu- gauche)" in 2003 to as
NEW YORK (AP) — A 1917 rope at the turn of the 19th much as $170 million.
painting by Amedeo Modi- century with his series of Picasso's "Le Repos," an im-
gliani of a reclining nude 22 nudes reclining in every age of his lover and "gold-
woman that was once possible position. When en muse," Marie-Therese
considered obscene in Par- the Italian-born, Jewish art- Walter, sold for $40 million.
is sold for over $157 million ist's nudes were unveiled It was one of 11 Picasso
at an auction in Manhat- at a Paris gallery, police works that were offered This 1917 oil painting, "Nu couche (sur le cote gauche)" by
Amedeo Modigliani, was auctioned at Sotheby's in New York
tan on Monday. demanded that it be shut Monday evening. for more than $157 million, in their Impressionist & Modern Art
"Nu couche (sur le cote down, offended by the Claude Monet's "Matinee evening sale Monday, May 14, 2018.
gauche)" was the highlight unflinching strokes of his oil sur la Seine" (Morning on the Associated Press
of Sotheby's "Impressionist brush that thrust art's nude Seine), part of a lineup of
& Modern Art" sale featur- figure into the modern era. river landscapes he paint- Night" and O'Keeffe "Lake million, was still well short of
ing Pablo Picasso works In the past half-dozen years, ed while on a boat, cap- George with White Birch" the record for the most ex-
spanning seven decades, prices for Modigliani's works turing the changing light each fetched over $11 mil- pensive painting ever sold.
and paintings by Claude have soared, from $26 mil- from sunrise to a lightning lion. Modigliani's painting, Leonardo da Vinci's "Salva-
Monet, Edvard Munch and lion the current owner paid storm, brought in $20.6 mil- which had the highest pre- tor Mundi" sold last year at
Georgia O'Keeffe. for "Nu couche (sur le cote lion. Both Munch's "Summer auction estimate at $150 Christie's for $450 million.q

The tormented souls of Schrader's 'First Reformed'

By LINDSEY BAHR close look at a man's spiral
Harrowing, but with a wry — whether it's to elevated
humor, and utterly trans- consciousness or paranoid
porting, Paul Schrader has insanity is a question that
synthesized his complex Schrader lets hang.
religious upbringing with Schrader's movie is a talky
modern anxieties into a one, but the words are pre-
trenchant portrait of tor- cise and compelling and
mented souls in "First Re- the images entrancing,
formed ." whether it's Pepto-Bismol
The title is the name of the swirling into a tumbler of
church in the film, a modest whiskey or an urgent fly-
but stately structure in up- over of bleak industrial
state New York that's older landscapes. While there
than the United States, but are obvious shades of his
you'd hardly know that it's previous works, including
nearing its 250th anniver- his most famous script "Taxi
sary with the bright white Driver," ''First Reformed" also
walls and well-preserved feels more mature and
pews. First Reformed is led studied — a culmination
by Reverend Toller (Ethan of a lifetime of examining
Hawke), a man in his late the human condition, with
40s who drinks too much a perfect vessel to convey
and cares for himself too those ideas in Hawke.
little and who has prom- As Toller, Hawke delivers
ised to tell the honest truth This image released by A24 shows Ethan Hawke, left, and Amanda Seyfriend in a scene from "First one the best performanc-
of himself, his doubts, his Reformed." es of his career. He carries
anxieties, his shortcomings, Associated Press the film and all its com-
even his typos in a hand- plex ideas on his shoulders,
written diary for one year, the town, actually belongs wife's pregnancy than It's this event that sends which is a burden that vis-
which he'll burn after the to the local mega-church bring a child into a decay- Toller down very different ibly wears on him as the
experiment is over. Abundant Life, run by Pas- ing world. (He's also got a path in the lead up to the story progresses and as he
Toller is a solitary man who tor Jeffers (Cedric Kyles). vest outfitted with explo- 250th anniversary celebra- becomes more alienated.
spends his nights alone with Thus it must come as a sort sives stashed in his shop). tion. He begins to question If there are weak spots, it
a bottle of whiskey and his of relief to get a true chal- Although Mary considers his own faith and belief in is perhaps in the writing
thoughts and writing, which lenge and an opportunity herself an environmentalist, hope and the future as it of the women who seem
we're invited to access to work with the people he's she would also like to keep relates to what humans are to be more symbols than
through voiceover. His days there to serve when one the child and get rid of the doing to the earth and the characters. Mary is the an-
aren't much different, and day Mary (Amanda Sey- vest. As a lifelong church- systems around him that gelic, blonde, pious and
he barely even gets respite fried) asks Toller to speak goer, she puts her trust in preach righteousness while pregnant one there to in-
from his own mind while with her husband Michael Toller to help. enabling polluters and tak- spire passion in Toller, and
giving sermons — First Re- (Philip Ettinger). Michael is But despite Toller's sincere ing their cash in the pro- Esther (Victoria Hill), the ex,
formed seems to only have a radical environmental- efforts, Michael still resorts cess. He has his own ghosts is the brunette, prim and
about five parishioners, ist so certain of the earth's to suicide soon after in a to contend with, and per- overbearing one there to
one of whom is his ex-wife. imminent destruction that way that ensures Toller will sonal demons, and we as torment him as a reminder
However, she, like most of he'd rather terminate his discover his body. the audience get an up of their past. q