De Chirico all’orizzonte. Un’odissea di luce e idee,….

On the occasion of the “Arte e musica a Villa Arbusto: dal barocco storico alla Metafisica barocca di Giorgio de Chirico” event, organized by the Municipality Of Lacco Ameno with the decisive contribution of Regione Campania, from June 5th to July 18th, The Villa Arbusto Museum, which has already been seat of the Archaeological Civic Museum of Pithecusae since 1999, houses an important paintings and sculptures exhibition by the famous and genial artist, Giorgio de Chirico (Volos – Greece 1888 – Rome 1978).

The ‘Villetta’ called “Gingerò” is showing the three exposition rooms, 33 works among which 5 sculptures and 18 paintings of the “Giorgio and Isa de Chirico Foundation” collection. The general organization of the event is arranged on behalf of the city hall, by Dr. Gennaro de Siano and Dr. Stefania Iapino, while the show’s setting and realization are under the care of Giorgio and Isa de Chirico Foundation , Professor Paolo Picozza, President of the Foundation, and Dr Katherine Robinson, in charge of the scientific field. The title of the exhibition, “De Chirico all’orizzonte. Un’ odissea di luce e idee”, concentrates on the relation between the artist and the Homeric and Greek culture and the physical ambit of the Mediterranean Sea, dotted with islands, rocky seashores, journeys and discoveries. The Sea is rich in history and culture which has played a decisive role in the spiritual and tangible formation and evolution of the artist. The expression “all’orizzonte” (on the horizon) recalls the identity of the island of Ischia and presents the show as the arrival of the artist on the island in order to tell us the ‘odyssey’ of his art through these works. A surprising memory of the ancient world, its brilliant places of nature and the genial intuition of ‘Pictor Optimus’, create paintings like ‘Cavalli in riva al mare’, ‘Le Bagnanti’, ‘Vite silenti’ and all the works of the neometaphysical period (1960-70). In these works we can see the strong relation with the Mediterranean world, but also the artist’s point of view on the sea as symbol of the unknown and the journey. Squares and stages, as ships’ prows, overlook the seas and open horizons. Inside, we find a metaphysical style, private rooms full of measuring devices, squares and frames, with windows that look out faraway so that the space becomes a pure poetical creation. The imaginary world of the painter is populated by famous ‘manichini’ and archaeologists, by horses, nobles creatures blessed with strong ‘pathos’ which harmonizes it to the landscape, on the seashore. The beauty of nature that we see through the visual sensibility of the artist, is exemplified with his ‘Vite silenti’, which is, on his words, “a life that expresses itself through volume, form and plasticity”. In the picture “Le bagnanti”, we see the deep interest of de Chirico in the tradition of the classical and baroque pictorial themes, in search of “bella material pittorica”. These works are the result of a constant technical research through the great masters of the past like Raffaello, Michelangelo, Durer, Guido Reni, Tiziano, Delacroix, Van Dick. Thanks to the variety of his researches, the painters’ artistic production is fascinating and revolutionary: the inventory of the metaphysical painting in 1910, the return to a classical figuration in 1919, the birth of the Mediterranean myth of the light in the middle of the 20s, and then the turning point and the opening of Naturalism in 1930 with the invention of the surprising imaginary world of ‘I Bagni misteriosi’, the baroque turning point in the 40s and finally, in the 60-70s, the return to his dear first metaphysical themes. These subjects were revised according to the new pictorial knowledges and real experiences opening a period of extraordinary research known as Neometaphysical, where we can see the calm relation with time, through brilliant and playful colours. Giorgio de Chirico was also author of critical and illuminating theoretical writings about the ancient art, and deep considerations on the modern art. The novel Ebdòmero, published in 1929, has been considered a real literary work. The theme of the show will be further developed through a careful reading of some selected passages of the novel. The visitor will be with the artist’s though, mixed up with a more close vision of the works, an artistic and cultural way to explore and enjoy completely.