Giorgio de Chirico, an Italian artist and co-founder of metaphysical painting, had a profound influence on the Surrealists. With a keen interest in art from a young age and a fascination with philosophical writings, de Chirico combined Symbolist sensibility with his love for classical antiquities and philosophical musings to create his earliest signature works. These works, praised for their brilliant and intricate interpretations of everyday life, introduced the world to the style of metaphysical painting. His enigmatic scenes of empty cities, menacing statues, mysterious shadows, and strange combinations of everyday objects inspired the Surrealist movement. Although his later works shifted towards a more realistic and academic style, de Chirico’s contribution to modern art of the 20th-century remains invaluable, as he continues to be recognized and praised for his influence on both the Surrealists and later generations of artists.
Quick Facts
- Italian Celebrities Born In July
- Also Known As: Giuseppe Maria Alberto Giorgio de Chirico
- Died At Age: 90
- Family: siblings: Alberto Savinio
- Born Country: Greece
- Artists & Painters
- Italian Men
- Died on: November 20, 1978
- Place of death: Rome, Italy
- Notable Alumni: Athens School Of Fine Arts, Academy Of Fine Arts, Munich
- Founder/Co-Founder: with Carlo Carrà and Giorgio Morandi, founded the style of Metaphysical painting.
- More Facts
- Education: Academy Of Fine Arts, Munich, Athens School Of Fine Arts
Childhood & Early Life
Giorgio de Chirico was born on July 10, 1888, in the town of Volos, Greece. His parents were Evaristo de Chirico, a railway engineer, and Gemma Cervetto, a Genovese woman. He had a sister who died in childhood and a younger brother named Andrea.
Initially, de Chirico studied art at the Higher School of Fine Arts in Athens. However, after the death of his father in 1905, the family moved to Munich, where he attended the Academy of Fine Arts. It was during his time at the Academy that he developed a special interest in the philosophical writings of Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche. In 1909, he traveled to Italy, visiting Milan and Turin before settling in Florence.
Quotes: Will, Dreams, Art
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Career
In 1910, de Chirico painted the first of his “Metaphysical Town Square” series, titled “The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon.” Later that year, he painted “The Enigma of the Oracle.” In 1911, he traveled to Paris, France, where he exhibited his work and met influential avant-garde artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brancusi.
In 1912, de Chirico’s works were exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Indépendants. He received much appreciation for his ambiguously ominous scenes of deserted piazzas and sold his first painting, “The Red Tower.” Some of his most important and influential paintings were produced during his stay in Paris from 1911 to 1915, including “The Soothsayer’s Recompense” (1913), “Love Song” (1914), and “The Seer” (1915).
During World War I, de Chirico returned to Rome and was drafted into the Italian Army. However, he soon had a nervous breakdown and was assigned to a hospital in Ferrara. It was during this period that he painted other notable works such as “The Great Metaphysician,” “The Troubadour,” and “The Disquieting Muses.” In 1917, he met artist Carlo Carrà, and together they developed the genre of “Metaphysical painting.” After the war ended, de Chirico moved to Rome.
In February 1919, de Chirico held his first solo show in Rome at Casa d’Arte Bragaglia. His work greatly impressed the newly formed Surrealist school of artists and writers, who were fascinated by dream analysis and the subconscious mind. However, in the 1920s, de Chirico started working in a neo-traditional style inspired by Renaissance masters such as Raphael and Titian. He eventually turned against modern art and broke ties with the Surrealists. He held his first exhibition in New York City in 1928 and also exhibited in London that same year.
In 1929, de Chirico wrote essays on art and other subjects and published a novel titled “Hebdomeros, the Metaphysician.” In 1939, he adopted a neo-Baroque style influenced by Rubens. However, his later works did not receive the same critical acclaim as his metaphysical period, and his reputation was also damaged by the circulation of false backdated copies of his works in the art market. In 1944, he settled permanently in Rome, and the following year, his autobiography “Memorie della mia vita” was published.
Major Works
Some of de Chirico’s most important metaphysical works include “The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon,” “The Soothsayer’s Recompense,” and “The Mystery and Melancholy of a Street.” These works are known for the haunting and brooding moods evoked by their images.
Awards & Achievements
In 1948, de Chirico was elected as an honorary member of the Royal Society of British Artists.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1925, de Chirico met and married a Russian ballerina named Raissa Gurievich, and the couple moved to Paris. In 1930, he met Isabella Pakszwer Far, a Russian who became his second wife. The couple moved to Italy in 1932 and settled in Rome in 1944. De Chirico passed away on November 20, 1978, in Rome at the age of 90.