During this transit of Mars in Leo, let’s look at the chart of Amedeo Modigliani, Italian sculptor and painter, who is mostly famous for his unique portraits.
Leo lagna right away points to the idea that this man came to express himself and his creative talent. Born under a very sensual nakshatra of Purva Phalguni, symbolized by conjugal bed, he was born with a hefty dose of creative, sexual energy. Mars in 1st house adds to the impulsiveness, sense of independence and individuality. To this day, art curators struggle to categorize him and his art.
Mars in Leo in his 1st house takes on a center role in his personality. This position made him pursue self-expression with passion, enthusiasm. He wanted to be “not like everybody else”, not defined by convention but stand in his own style. It gives a personality that is driven by passion and desires, but also competitiveness and desire to express individuality with a flare of drama.
From the Moon, we see that Moon is positioned in Aquarius in nakshatra Shatabhisha. This nakshatra is often associated with fame after death. In fact, Modigliani struggled to get his paintings sold most of his life and became famous well after his death. Now days, his works are celebrated for their timeless beauty and have become highly sought-after in the art market.
As a child, Modigliani displayed a strong interest in art. He often sketched and drew, demonstrating a natural talent. Recognizing his passion, his mother arranged for him to receive art lessons from local artists in Livorno. These early lessons laid the foundation for his artistic development.
These natural talents for painting, sketching, and drawing can be seen by prominent sign of Gemini where he has 3 planets: Me, Ve, and Su. This combination is 5th house from Moon of artistic talents and creativity. Being in Gemini, it point to the idea of being skilled with hands. From lagna, his ruling planet Sun is placed in Gemini as well.
From the moon, ruler of 1st in Saturn placed in Taurus, sign ruled by Venus, which is yet another indicator of creativity and artistic talent. Since Taurus is a sign related to the face and physical shapes and forms, it points to the idea that Modigliani will be interested in sculpture and portraits specifically. At some point in his life, he abandoned painting to pursue his interest in sculpture ( Sa in Taurus). He had abandon it because dust from the stone was irritating his lungs. Saturn and Rahu aspect his 4th house from the Moon, suggesting afflictions to chest area. Sa and Ma, as well as Jp, ruler of 8th, aspect 4th from Lagna.
His addiction
Shatabhisha is a nakshatra often associated with addictions. Having Moon here, in nakshatra ruled by Rahu, shows his tendency to alcohol and drug addictions, which became a factor in his early death at the age of 35. Since Rahu placed in 2nd house of mouth, it supports the idea of ingesting poisons or addictive substances by mouth. He was often found drunk, thrown out of restaurants, having blackouts due to alcohol. Because Moon is aspected by two malefics, Saturn and Mars, it tips it in a more negative direction. His addiction and tendency to consume poison is also shown by position of 2nd house ruler Jupiter (from Moon) in Ashlesha, nakshatra whose shakti is “to poison”. Poisons that he was consuming were affecting his health, since Jupiter even though exalted is placed in a dusthana, 6th house of health issues. Jupiter in this chart is a temporal malefic for Leo lagna and for Aquarius Moon. Saturn, ruler of 1st house from Moon, is placed in Mrigashira, which is related to Soma, nectar of the gods, which in turn is also associated with drinking.
Relationships and his Venus
His Venus is very interesting due to number of afflictions it has. Venus is retrograde, combust, and in planetary war with not one but two planets: Sun and Mercury. This signifies that difficulties in personal romantic life fueled his creative self-expression. Afflicted Venus made him one of the most famous painters of this time. But also prevented him to enjoy stability in personal relationships during his life. As it is often seen, afflicted Venus is good for artistic pursuits but challenging for love life.
This is what chat gpt writes about his love life: “One of Modigliani's most significant relationships was with the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. They met in Paris in 1910 and embarked on a passionate love affair. Akhmatova described Modigliani as her "angel" and was deeply inspired by him. However, their relationship was complicated, and they eventually separated due to Modigliani's excessive drinking and infidelity.
Another important figure in Modigliani's love life was Jeanne Hébuterne, a young art student who became his muse and partner. They met in 1917, and their relationship was intense and passionate. Hébuterne became a prominent subject in Modigliani's artwork, appearing in many of his portraits. They had a child together, a daughter named Jeanne Modigliani, born in 1918. Tragically, their relationship came to a tragic end in 1920 when Modigliani died of tubercular meningitis. Devastated by his death, Hébuterne, who was 8 months pregnant with their second child, tragically took her own life the following day.
Modigliani's love life was not limited to Akhmatova and Hébuterne. He had various other relationships and affairs with artists, models, and women from different walks of life. Modigliani was known for his bohemian lifestyle and his attraction to unconventional women.
It's worth noting that Modigliani's personal life was often overshadowed by his artistic pursuits and the challenges he faced, such as financial difficulties and his ongoing health issues. His relationships were marked by a certain level of instability and self-destructive tendencies, partly fueled by his addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Despite the complexities and tragedies that characterized Modigliani's love life, his relationships and the emotions they evoked often found expression in his artwork. His portraits, particularly those of his lovers and muses, reveal a profound depth of feeling and a unique blend of sensuality and vulnerability that continue to captivate viewers to this day.”