Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978; Greek-born and of Italian parentage) astounded the art world of the 1910s with paintings of town squares and interior scenes that combined sharp clarity with distorted perspectives, disparate motifs, and a fantastical atmosphere in order to convey the strangeness that he felt was concealed just beyond the everyday. The artist later dubbed this style ‘metaphysical painting’.
This major retrospective is the first large-scale showing of de Chirico’s work in Japan in a decade. The artist’s almost seven-decade-long career is explored comprehensively through a series of themed sections including ‘Metaphysical Interior’, ‘Mannequin’ and ‘Piazza d'Italia (Italian Piazza)’. As these exhibits trace, after 1919 the artist pursued a more classical style of painting, yet still drew upon motifs from his earlier, more dreamlike work.
Surrealist trailblazers Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, themselves no strangers to the uncanny, were among those blown away by de Chirico’s metaphysical paintings. This show, which also includes the artist’s sculptures and set designs, is a rare opportunity to immerse oneself in de Chirico’s singular vision.
The exhibition is closed on Monday (except May 6, Jul 8, Aug 12) as well as May 7 and July 9-16.
