Giorgio Morandi

Born July 20, 1890, in Bologna; died there June 18, 1964. Italian painter and graphic artist.

Morandi attended the Bologna Academy of Arts from 1907 to 1913; he later taught at the academy from 1930 to 1956. Influenced by P. Cézanne and cubism, he was also attracted to metaphysical painting. From 1919 to 1922 he was a member of the Valori Plastici group. Morandi primarily produced still-lifes. After the mid-1920’s the severe structural purism and geometric abstraction of objects in Morandi’s work (Metaphysical Still-life, 1918, Hermitage, Leningrad) gave way to lyricism and subtle associations of images from the real world (Still-life, 1944). Morandi’s paintings are characterized by a poetically contemplative mood, a unique fusion of reality and the artist’s ideal, and a harmonious combination of rhythmic, orderly patterns with a variable color scheme. Morandi also painted landscapes and produced many etchings.