Book Description
Pegasus Library
Giorgio de Chirico Endless Voyage
By Wieland Schmied
Giorgio de Chirico (1888 –1978) was the inventor of a symbolic style, which had a powerful influence on 20th- century art. His strange dreamscapes, featuring classical statues, Italian piazzas, sinister shadows, geometric objects, and mannequins are filled with enigma. This richly illustrated book focuses on the artist ’s mysterious and fascinating representations of the human form and describes how events and friendships in his life influenced his artistic development.
Publisher comments
At a young age de Chirico was deeply impressed by Arnold Bocklin ’s painting of Odysseus on Calypso ’s island. De Chirico appropriated Bocklin ’s Odysseus for his own paintings, at first with little modification, then pushing it ever further into the background until it appeared only as a shadow. The author explains how the figure underwent numerous additional alterations In later paintings before returning to center stage as the famous “manichino ”figure, the faceless tailor ’s dummy. This absorbing volume brings readers closer to understanding one of the 20th century ’s most inscrutable artists.
