Giorgio de Chirico

GIORGO DE CHIRICO (Greece, 1888 - Rome, 1978).
Untitled.
Etching, copy XII/L.
Signed and justified by hand.
Measurements: 14,2 x 10 cm (print); 26,5 x 22 cm (paper); 43,5 x 39 cm (frame).

Giorgio de Chirico, painter born in Greece of Italian parents, is recognized for founding the artistic movement scuola metafisica. He studied art in Athens and Florence before moving to Germany in 1906, where he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. There he became familiar with the philosophy of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, and with the work of symbolist artists such as Arnold Böcklin and Max Klinger. In 1909 he returned to Italy, spending time in Milan and Florence, where he painted "The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon", the first work in his "Metaphysical Square" series. In 1911 he visited Turin and emphasized the "metaphysical aspect" of its architecture. He then moved to Paris, where he remained until his enlistment in World War I in 1915. His metaphysical period (1909-1914) is the most recognized, characterized by desolate urban landscapes, interiors full of objects and the frequent presence of mannequins, creating strange and timeless atmospheres. His work notably influenced artists and writers linked to surrealism, such as Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Yves Tanguy. De Chirico later abandoned the metaphysical style, exploring a more realistic art with moderate success. In 1925 he published the novel "Hebdomeres", considered a key literary work of surrealism, translated into Spanish by César Aira. De Chirico died in 1978 at the age of 90. His metaphysical painting, with dehumanized urban spaces, open interiors and mannequins, as well as the use of shadows and architecture, constitutes a fundamental antecedent of surrealism, creating sensations of silence, mystery and timelessness.