Pieces by : Giorgio de Chirico
Who made this object/artwork/space and why?
This piece is made by Giorgio de Chirico.
“What can an empty town square tell us about the human condition? Giorgio de Chirico considered that question with his mysterious works produced between 1911 and 1917. They were unlike anything else being made in Europe at the time, resembling nothing like the haughty abstractions then being produced by Cubists in Paris or the colorful experiments with a motion being made by the Futurists in Italy.” by M. Duron, 2020, Giorgio de Chirico: How the Godfather of Surrealism Crafted His Mysterious Cityscapes.
https://www.artnews.com/feature/giorgio-de-chirico-why-is-he-famous-1202687371/
What importance does it have for us today?
This short-lived painting style is connected to surrealism. Surrealism aims to revolutionize the human experience. “Since its inception, the ideas and art associated with Surrealism have been disseminated, embraced, and re-imagined through international networks of exchange and collaboration. Surrealism's core ideas and themes have been adapted and deemed relevant to different historical, geographical and cultural contexts, enabling it to be expressed through plural voices.”
Who would find this object/artwork/space valuable and why?
Art Historians and artists-
Giorgio de Chirico is the originator of Metaphysical Painting. Using a realist style, he painted city squares of typical Italian cities but the squares are unnaturally empty, and in them, objects and statues are brought together in strange juxtapositions. The artist thus created a visionary world of the mind, beyond physical reality.
Your reactions
What attracted you to the object/artwork/space?
The colours used, the human figures that look like mannequins, and the contrast between shadows and sunlight in the artwork.
Has the object/artwork/space made you think differently? If so, how?
The artwork looks very realistic but dreamlike and emotionally draining. The piece makes me feel lonely and be glad how places like these are busy with people and movement even though I often wish the opposite.
Does the object/artwork/space remind you of anything else? If so, what?
Lockdown
Chernobyl accident caused the evacuation of the city of Pripyat.
Art pieces in the context of loneliness, emotionally numb, melancholic.
Contexts
How does the object/artwork/space link to any of the following?
History- Giorgio de Chirico and the former futurist, Carlo Carra are the originators of the Metaphysical Painting movement. This movement was also highly influential on the development of the dream-like kind of surrealist painting, particularly that of Max Ernst. ( Max Ernst invented the art technique of placing something under your paper and rubbing your graphite pencil over it to create a copy-indent. (Remember doing it in daycare? At that time it felt like the most awesome thing ever.))
Society- Covid us making very distant from people and scared of each other. Increased social anxiety in everyday life. These pieces show the loneliness and feeling alone and distant.
Environment- cities without people. Covid lockdown had this effect on famous tourism spots, which were photographed by some, which feels scary and unnatural.
Climate change is killing our planet, this might be our future.
This reminds me of the Chernobyl accident. Citizens of Pripyat were evacuated after the atomic reactor blew up and released toxic radioactive particles dangerous to human life. As the evacuation was sudden people left everything and after many years the city is overtaken by nature.
Economy- (these paintings are famous and expensive.)
Web Links and library journals to remember for info:
The Neurology of Art – The Example of Giorgio de Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico and the Metaphysical City: Nietzsche, Modernism, Paris by Ara H. Merjian (review)
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