150908: Kunstmuseum Winterthur: Giorgio de Chirico. Works from 1909

Kunstmuseum Winterthur: Giorgio de Chirico. Works from 1909 – 1971 from Swiss collections “Pictor Optimus” Lack of self-confidence was never Giorgio de Chirico’s problem. In a self-portrait dating from 1911, when he was only 23 years old, he imitated Friedrich Nietzsche’s pose in his famous portrait photo. Later he described himself as “Pictor Optimus” or titled them as “eternal fame may be bestowed on me, so I will be praised at all times” (in this case a quote by Ovid). The exhibit in Winterthur clearly shows that de Chirico, with his references to the antique or the Renaissance and Baroque, looked back more into the past than into the future; as opposed to his contemporaries, who preferred to perceive themselves as part of a collective, as random generators, or as engineers rather than as masters of art like de Chirico. His paintings show battered gladiators resting after fierce fights or crumbling arcade walls. Not only the metaphysical art (pittura metafisica) with its wide, indeterminate squares, its dark drop shadows and its assembled figures made up of geometrical elements or architectural pledges is presented, but also his later, rather pompous paintings, whose vibrant surface reminds of Renoir’s late works. An exhibit, which claims to be a retrospective, is not allowed to ignore these rather disconcerting aspects. Financial problems could be responsible for the fact that de Chirico reanimated his pittura metafisica towards the end of his career. His cryptic painting “Bagni misteriosi”, in which people sit and stand in baths, is enthralling - even today. Kunstmuseum Winterthur 8402 Winterthur, Museumstrasse 52, until 22.11. 2008 www.kmw.ch

Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville

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150908

Kunstmuseum Winterthur - Beim Stadthaus
8400 Winterthur, Museumstrasse 52
Tel: +41 52 267 51 62
Email: info@kmw.ch
http://www.kmw.ch
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