Metaphysical painting was an Italian art movement that began in 1917 in Ferrara. It was characterized by dreamlike imagery with figures and objects seemingly frozen in time in strange, illogical contexts with unreal lights and colors. The scenes depicted an eventless tone of silence, imminence, and enigma that generated a new reality beyond the meaning of what was presented. The main artists of the movement included Giorgio de Chirico, Carlo Carra, Giorgio Morandi, Italo Savino, Luigi Filippo Tibertelli, and Ardengo Soffici.

1. METAPHYSICAL
PAINTING
Revision

2. Origin
• It is an Italian art movement
• It was born in 1917 in Ferrara with
the work of
– Carlo Carrá
– Giorgio de Chirico
• The word metaphysical is core to the
poetic of the movement

3. Characteristics
• They depicted a dreamlike imagery
with figures and objects seemingly
frozen in time
• Artists accept the representation of
the visible world in a traditional
perspective space

4. Characteristics
• There is something strange in their
works:
– Unusual arrangement of human beings
as dummy-like models
– Objects in strange, illogical contexts
– Unreal lights and colours
– Unnatural static of still figures

5. Characteristics
• Opposite to Futurism
• They had more than a new way of
painting, only a new way of seeing
things
• They used a different logic with:
– Deserted squares
– Silent, rigidly rendered buildings
– Colonnades and shadows

6. Characteristics
– Trains passing far away in the distance
– Clocks and statues
• There is never any precise hint in
the paintings about the place or
moment of the scene.

7. Characteristics
• Scenes are full of:
– Eventless
– Tome of silence
– Imminence
– Enigma

8. Characteristics
• All that generated a new reality
which goes beyond the meaning of
the things presented
– Creating a sense of
• Expectation
• mistery
– Bonded with the unconscious mind

9. Influences
• It may appear as a reaction against
– Cubism
– Futurism
• It may seem strange that many of the
achievements of 20th century Italian
art came during the rise of Fascism
• It created the premises of Surrealism

10. Artists
• Main members of the movement
were:
– Giorgio de Chirico
– Carlo Carra
– Giorgio Morandi
– Italo Savino
– Luigi Filippo Tibertelli
– Ardengo Soffici

11. Giorgio de Chirico

12. Carrá
Morandi