Born to Italian parents in Volo, Greece, Giorgio de Chirico took his first drawing lessons between 1896 and 1899. In 1905, his mother, recently widowed, decided to move to Italy with her two sons – she had given birth in 1891 to Andrea, better known by the pseudonym Alberto Savinio. After some brief stops in Venice and Milan, however, the family decided to settle in Munich, where de Chirico attended the Academy of Fine Arts. In these early years of the twentieth century, de Chirico devoted himself to the creation of works influenced by Arnold Böcklin. This phase was concluded in 1910 when he moved to Florence and, above all, with the search for expression of a mysterious feeling discovered by reading Friedrich Nietzsche and aimed at describing “the beautiful autumn days, in the afternoon, in Italian cities.”
Thus, took shape the painter’s first metaphysical painting: L’énigme d’un après-midi d’automne (1910), inspired by a vision he had in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce. The work was preceded by L’énigme de l’oracle and followed by L’énigme de l’heure and the Portrait de l’artiste par lui-même. The following year, the artist moved to Paris. He exhibited at the 1912 Salon d’Automne and the 1913 Salon des Indépendants, where he was noticed and appreciated by Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire – for whom he painted the Portrait de Guillaume Apollinaire (1914). He frequented, together with his brother, Ardengo Soffici, Constantin Brancusi, Max Jacob and André Derain. The following year, de Chirico and Savinio were forced to return to Italy to serve in the army and were later transferred to Ferrara. These were the years of the great metaphysical interiors, with works such as: Il grande metafisico (1917), Ettore e Andromaca (1917), Il trovatore (1917) and Le muse inquietanti (1918). In 1916, he forged a connection with Filippo de Pisis, and the subsequent year, he encountered Carlo Carrà, who was then undergoing treatment at the Villa del Seminario military hospital for nervous disorders. Concurrently, he engaged with the Dada movement, intersecting with figures like Tristan Tzara and contributing to the magazine Dada 2. Moreover, he penned an article titled “Zeusi l’esploratore” for the inaugural edition of Plastic Values. In 1919, he opted to settle to Rome, where he debuted his first solo exhibition at Casa d’Arte Bragaglia and published Noi metafisici in Cronache d’attualità. Throughout this period, he immersed himself in the study and emulation of the eminent Renaissance masters showcased in museums across Rome and Florence.
The 1920s started with his inaugural solo exhibition at the Galleria Arte in Milan and were marked by the beginning of a correspondence with André Breton. This period saw a continuous engagement in exhibitions, including another solo showcase at Galerie Paul Guillaume in Paris and participation in the 14th Venice Biennale. In 1924, de Chirico found himself once more in Paris, where he ultimately settled in 1925, as he received a commission to design sets and costumes for Pirandello’s “La Giara” at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.
During his time in Paris, de Chirico embarked on an exploration of the Metaphysics of Light and Mediterranean Myth, which gave birth to thematic motifs such as Archaeologists, Horses by the Sea, Trophies, Landscapes in the Room, Furniture in the Valley, and Gladiators. However, during a solo exhibition at Galerie Léonce Rosenberg, the Surrealists delivered harsh critiques of de Chirico’s recent works, sparking a profound schism that would deteriorate in the ensuing years. Meanwhile, exhibitions persisted both in Italy and abroad, spanning cities such as Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, and New York.
The 1930s continued to be marked by significant exhibitions, including appearances at the 18th Venice Biennale, the 5th Milan Triennale, and the 2nd Rome Quadriennale. In 1936, the artist ventured to New York, showcasing his work at the Julien Levy Gallery. Two years later, de Chirico returned to Italy, where he engaged in terracotta sculpture creation during the war years, creating pieces such as Gli Archeologi, Ettore e Andromaca, Ippolito e il suo cavallo, and Pietà. By 1944, de Chirico had established permanent residency in Piazza di Spagna, Rome.
In 1948, he attained the distinction of being appointed a fellow of the Royal Society of British Artists, where he subsequently held his first solo exhibition the following year. Moreover, in 1950, 1952, and 1954, he orchestrated an “Antibiennale” at the headquarters of the Bucintoro Rowing Society in Venice, in direct contention with the official review, which had awarded to his colleague Giorgio Morandi the Metaphysical Prize in 1950. A new phase of artistic exploration, termed Neometaphysics, emerged during this period. De Chirico opted to revisit themes intrinsic to the subjects of his painting and graphic art from the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, including the Mannequin, the Troubadour, Archaeologists, Gladiators, Mysterious Baths, and the Sun on the Easel.
In 1970, a significant retrospective exhibition was hosted at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, showcasing the breadth of his oeuvre. Subsequently, in 1973, he created the Fontana dei Bagni misteriosi for the 15th Milan Triennale in Sempione Park. These endeavors occurred just a few years prior to the passing of the indefatigable artist in Rome at the age of ninety.