Morandi, Giorgio [key], 1890–1964, Italian painter and etcher, b. Bologna. He studied at that city's Fine Arts Academy (grad. 1913) and from 1930 to 1954 was a professor there. Influenced early by Cézanne, cubism, and futurism and subsequently associated with the pittura metafisica (1918–20) of Chirico, he developed an independent style. In his restrained and introspective still lifes of exactingly arranged bottles, vases, and jars painted with a muted and limited tonal range and an absence of perspective, Morandi created an art of quiet eloquence and absolute modernity. While best known for these works, he also executed numerous floral studies and landscapes. His work is revered in Italy for its poetic qualities.
See biography by J. Abramowicz (2005); study ed. by M. C. Bandera and R. Miracco (2008).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art, 1600 to the Present: Biographies
