In New York's Metropolitan Museum opens exhibit thematically and chronologically covering all phases of creative work of famous Italian artist Giorgio Morandi

on September 16 in New York's Metropolitan Museum opened an exhibition of paintings, watercolors and etchings of famous Italian artist Giorgio Morandi (Giorgio Morandi, 1890-1964). The exhibition presents about 110 works, completely covering all phases of creative ways: the traditional still lifes, and landscapes and the occasional self-portraits that are displayed together for the first time. All works were gathered from major collections, which were in collaboration with the Morandi - meeting academics and critics, a well-known artists, as well as the major Italian art collectors for whom he left his best work.

The exhibition is organized thematically and chronologically, and includes the earliest pictorial experiments master, metaphysical paintings, written shortly after the First World War, classical still lifes and landscapes, executed during the period of artistic maturity, and almost monochrome, «fuzzy» work in recent years. All of these works, united by a common exposure, embody the talent Morandi, who sought to awaken the poetry and monumentality in familiar objects and landscapes, trying to, as he said, «to touch the deep essence of things».

It is more difficult to restore the entire first phase of the creative artist's way, because most of the early works of the period it has destroyed. Yet, thanks to some important works, borrowed from Italian museums, it is possible to see that some features characteristic of his mature works, already evident in the early scenes come down to us. The two still-life 1916 and 1920, significantly influenced by Giotto and Piero della Francesca (Piero della Francesca). His fascination with metaphysical painting (Pittura metafisica) provided, among other works, a still-life in 1918, which prevail in the form of connected objects on the canvas, rather than their symbolic meaning. Particularly fascinate two self Morandi - rare for it attempts to portray the human figure. The artist has written himself, as well as their still-lifes, - without the emotions and psychological penetration.

Another amazing picture presented in the exhibition - a still life of 1942, which shows only the lower part of a group of objects. Interest is its history: an art critic Carlo Ludoviko Ragyanti (Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti) described the upper part of the original work failed, and then cut off that part of Morandi, and the lower insert in the frame and gave it an unusual composition Ragyanti.

In the Metropolitan for the first time in a single exhibition features several series of paintings. The composition of paintings in the series will not change. A search for a creative artist is reflected in small changes in the overall perspective, lighting, or color, and the provisions of any object.

culmination of the exhibition can be called later, the so-called «fuzzy» Work Morandi - for example, watercolor, 1963.

Giorgio Morandi was born in Bologna in 1890. In 1907, he enrolled in the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. In his early works can feel the influence of Paul Cézanne (Paul Cezanne), he was fond of cubism and futurism, as well as the metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico (Giorgio de Chirico). By the early 1920's started to form a unique style of Morandi, which, thanks to constant repetition of simple motifs and parsimony Fine means the beginning of a stream, as minimalism.

In 1914, for the creative work the artist has joined teaching. Until 1929 he taught drawing in primary schools in Bologna, and from 1935 to 1956 taught the art of engraving in the Florentine Academy. His works were exhibited at the Italian exhibitions Novocento, and were marked by awards Venice Biennale (1948) and the Biennale in Sao Paulo (1957). The famous Italian film director Federico Fellini (Federico Fellini) captures one of the works by Morandi, in his film «Dolce Vita» (1960).

Morandi was retiring - for the life he gave just one interview, and created their works mainly for friends and relatives, admirers of his talent that led to the marginalization of his art in the modernist art. Morandi exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum presents the public the outstanding achievements of the artist and helps restore its position in the history of world culture of the XX century.

Source: artdaily.com