Giorgio de Chirico: Life and Paintings

Giorgio de Chirico was a key member of the Paris avant-garde and a major influence on other artists, especially the nascent surrealists. His repertoire of motifs, empty arcades, elongated shadows, mannequins, and trains created images of forlorn emptiness that became iconic. He influenced writers, poets, filmmakers, and musicians, and after the Great War, he turned toward neoclassicism and fell out with the surrealists.

Format: Hardback
Length: 555 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2023
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

Giorgio de Chirico, a pivotal figure in the avant-garde art scene of Paris during the 20th century, emerged as one of the most contentious and influential artists of his era. As a prominent member of the Parisian avant-garde, he exerted a profound influence on numerous artists, particularly the nascent surrealists. De Chirico's artistic repertoire consisted of motifs such as empty arcades, elongated shadows, mannequins, and trains, which he employed to create haunting images of desolate emptiness that have become iconic.

The impact of de Chirico's early work can be seen in the artistic endeavors of artists like Yves Tanguy, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali, and Rene Magritte. His influence extended beyond painting, encompassing writers and poets such as Guillaume Apollinaire, Andre Breton, John Ashbery, and Sylvia Plath, as well as filmmakers like Jacques Prevert and Michelangelo Antonioni, and even musician David Bowie, who was inspired by de Chirico's genderless tailors and dummies, which later influenced his music videos.

Following the Great War, de Chirico shifted his artistic direction towards neoclassicism, leading to a significant rift with the surrealists and the mainstream modernist movement. This transformation resulted in his becoming an outspoken outsider within the art world. In this comprehensive exploration of the artist's life and work, conducted by the foremost authority on de Chirico, new archival research is utilized to provide a fresh perspective on his complex relationship with surrealism, fascism, forgery, and the European avant-gardes.

Weight: 1554g
Dimension: 262 x 246 x 47 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780847872381