| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net | | Established in 1996 | Wednesday, November 20, 2019 |
| | | Getty opens 'Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art' | |
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Andrea Mantegna (Italian, about 1431 - 1506), Adoration of the Magi, about 1495 - 1505. Distemper on linen. Dimensions: Unframed (Image size): 48.6 Ã 65.6 cm (19 1/8 Ã 25 13/16 in.) Framed: 71.8 Ã 86.8 Ã 3.5 cm (28 1/4 Ã 34 3/16 Ã 1 3/8 in.) stretcher: 54.6 Ã 69.5 cm (21 1/2 Ã 27 3/8 in.) Accession No. 85.PA.417 Object Credit: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Early medieval legends report that one of the three kings who paid homage to the Christ Child in Bethlehem was from Africa. Written accounts sometimes describe Balthazar, the youngest magus, as having a dark complexion. Nevertheless, it would take nearly 1,000 years for European artists to begin representing him as a Black man. Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art, an exhibition at the Getty Center Museum on view from November 19, 2019 to February 16, 2020, examines how representations in European art of Balthazar as a Black African coincided with the increased interaction between Europe and Africa, particularly with the systematic enslavement of African peoples in the fifteenth century. This exhibition examines the illuminated manuscripts and paintings in the Gettys collection that tell the story of Balthazar, placing this artistic-religious narrative in the context of the long history of materia ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day The Karlovac City Museum brings to its citizens a unique art exhibition by academic painter Alfred Freddy Krupa. The exhibition features as many as 53 works of art in ink technique that are inspired by Japanese woodcarvers, nudes, landscapes and other artistic motifs. The peculiarity of these inks is that they can be found even in the most famous galleries in the world, from Australia all the way to London, and on this occasion everyone can enjoy a unique "reinterpretation of Western modernity and contemporary sensibility through the reduction and materials of the East". The exhibition remains open until December 1st.
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| | A tiny Brontë book comes home | | European police bust gang looting artifacts in Italy | | No more excuses for Gauguin |
Autograph manuscript signed Charlotte Brontë, Second Series of The Young Mens Magazines. © Aguttes SVV (France). 66016 N.
LONDON (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- In 1830, when she was 14 years old, Charlotte Brontë created a series of six matchbox-size books known as The Young Mens Magazine, complete with dramatic stories and tiny hand-lettered ads. Now, after an intrigue-filled detour to Paris, the second volume in the series is headed back to the brick parsonage on the edge of the moors where it was created. The Brontë Society in Haworth, England, announced on Monday that it had acquired the miniature magazine for $777,000 (including fees) at the auction house Drouot in Paris. That this unique manuscript will be back in Haworth is an absolute highlight of my 30 years working at the museum, Ann Dinsdale, principal curator of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said in a statement. Charlotte wrote this minuscule magazine for the toy soldiers she and her siblings played with, and as we walk through the same rooms they did, it seems immensely fitting that it is coming home. The auction capped off a saga that ... More | |
The gang used bulldozers and metal detectors to loot objects as old as 400 BC from the Calabria region -- the "toe" of Italy -- before selling them across Europe. Photo: Europol.
THE HAGUE (AFP).- European police have busted an international crime gang involved in trafficking tens of thousands of Greek archaeological artefacts looted from illegal excavations in Italy, law enforcement agencies said Monday. Police from Italy, Britain, France, Germany and Serbia arrested 23 suspects and carried out 103 searches in the investigation that started in 2017, the EU police agency Europol and Eurojust said. The gang used bulldozers and metal detectors to loot objects as old as 400 BC from the Calabria region -- the "toe" of Italy -- before selling them across Europe. "Illegal excavations were managed by a well-structured organised crime group... led by two Calabrians" living in the southern province of Crotone, the agencies said in a combined statement. In Calabria "the cultural heritage includes important traces from the Greek and Roman period", Europol said. Italian media said two Calabrian men aged 59 and 30 were arrested. ... More | |
Paul Gauguin, The Ancestors of Tehamana or Tehamana Has Many Parents (Merahi metua no Tehamana), 1893 (detail). Oil on canvas, 76.3 à 54.3 cm. The Art Institute of Chicago. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Deering McCormick 1980.613 © The Art Institute of Chicago.
LONDON (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- Is it time to stop looking at Gauguin altogether? Thats the startling question visitors hear on the audio guide as they walk through the Gauguin Portraits exhibition at the National Gallery in London. The show, which runs through Jan. 26, focuses on Paul Gauguins depictions of himself, his friends and fellow artists, and of the children he fathered and the young girls he lived with in Tahiti. The standout portrait in the exhibition is Tehamana Has Many Parents (1893). It pictures Gauguins teenage lover, holding a fan. The artist repeatedly entered into sexual relations with young girls, marrying two of them and fathering children, reads the wall text. Gauguin undoubtedly exploited his position as a privileged Westerner to make the most of the sexual freedoms available to him. Born in Paris, the son of a radical journalist, ... More |
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| | Not ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-d! Lalanne sheep sculptures sell for $468K at Palm Beach Modern's Nov. 9 auction | | French court confirms sentence for Picasso's electrician over hoarded art | | Christie's announces highlights of the Important Russian Art Auction |
Two Francois-Xavier Lalanne (French 1927-2008) Mouton epoxy stone and patinated bronze sculptures, 1990 edition of 250, signed in the concrete and in the bronze. Sold separately to the same successful bidder in Switzerland for $247,000 and $221,000, respectively.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.- A rainy day in the Palm Beaches meant no golf or tennis, but it didnt stop 120+ art aficionados from gathering at Palm Beach Moderns November 9 auction, which totaled $1.8 million and recorded an 85% sell-through rate. The auction attracted a record number of bidders, 4,500 from all sources combined and 4,000 via the Internet, alone. We pride ourselves on service and making our auctions an enjoyable experience, which includes providing a catered lunch and free valet parking for all who attend, said Palm Beach Modern Auctions (PBMA) co-owner and auctioneer Rico Baca. When the downpour began on the morning of the sale, we quickly arranged for a canopy to be installed at the front door so guests could arrive dry and comfortable. We think those small touches are important. Those ... More | |
In this file photo Pierre Le Guennec (R) arrives with his wife Danielle at the court in Aix-en-Provence, southeastern France on October 31, 2016. BORIS HORVAT / AFP.
LYON (AFP).- A French court on Tuesday confirmed the two-year suspended jail terms given to Pablo Picasso's former electrician and his wife, who hoarded 271 of the great painter's works in a garage for four decades. The verdict by the Lyon court is the latest twist in a decade-long legal saga, which took the couple, who claim the works were a gift, all the way to France's top appeals court. Pierre and Danielle Le Guennec were first given two-year suspended terms in 2015 after being convicted of possession of stolen goods over the huge trove of works by Picasso, including nine rare Cubist collages and a work from his famous Blue Period. That verdict was upheld in 2016 by a higher court but then quashed by the Cour de Cassation, which ordered a retrial. The former electrician, 80, and his wife, 76, were not in court Tuesday when they were found guilty for a third time. "It is a triumph ... More | |
Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), The Manicure. Portrait of Mademoiselle Girmond, 1917. Estimate: £2,000,000-£3,000,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2019.
LONDON.- Christies announced the upcoming Important Russian Art auction which will take place In London on the 25th of November, offering artworks by Nicolai Fechin, Nicholas Roerich, Ivan Shishkin, Natalia Goncharova and other notable Russian artists. The sale is led by Fechins masterpiece, The Manicure. Portrait of Mademoiselle Girmond, painted in 1917 and which to this day has remained in the collection of the artists family. Christies will offer the painting with an estimate of £2-3 million. Paintings executed by Fechin during the years before his emigration abroad in 1923 were produced at the peak of his artistic activity, the culmination of which includes the portrait of Mademoiselle Girmond. Fechin depicts a femme fatale in luxurious apparel tending to her hands, fully embodying the aesthetics of La Belle Epoque. The sense of luxury portrayed in the work contrasts the dark realities of revolutionary ... More |
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| | Early Mozart minuets sell for 372,500 euros at Paris auction | | Soulis Auctions' Dec. 7 Winter Fine Art sale shines spotlight on rare Alphonse Mucha graphics | | Kanye West unveils opera to premiere this month |
The unpublished, autographed score of the minuets -- a stylised dance -- contains a few corrections and minor modifications, including one or two that might be in the hand of Mozart's father, Leopold.
PARIS (AFP).- An original score of two minuets composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was just 16 blew past estimates at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Monday, going under the hammer for 372,500 euros ($413,000). It was nearly double the top estimated value of 200,000 euros set for the handwritten score dating from 1772, and which formed part of the extensive music collection of a fellow Austrian, the writer Stefan Zweig. The unpublished, autographed score of the minuets -- a stylised dance -- contains a few corrections and minor modifications, including one or two that might be in the hand of Mozart's father, Leopold. The manuscript was kept in Mozart's birthplace Salzburg by the composer's sister, Nannerl, before finding its way into Zweig's collection. The score, the only one of the composer's "Six Minuets K.164" to still be in private hands, came from the library of the eminent Swiss bibliophile Jean-Francois Chaponniere. Mozart, a child prodigy, began composing at a very ... More | |
Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939), lithograph poster in colors with gold embossing, circa 1928, created for The Slav Epic exhibition of 1930, 46½ x 30 in (sight). Estate of Robert Allan Haas. Estimate $8,000-$10,000.
LONE JACK, MO.- A collection of superb Alphonse Mucha period graphics from the estate of Hallmark Cards senior master artist Robert Allan Haas (American, 1950-2018) is the centerpiece of Dirk Soulis much-anticipated December 7 Winter Fine Art Auction. Approximately 60 of the sales 210 lots come from the prestigious Haas collection. Many of the works are quite rare and were exhibited at Hallmarks headquarters and at eight US galleries as part of a traveling museum exhibition from 1998 through the early 2000s. It is an important collection, said auctioneer Dirk Soulis, not only because of its inherent quality but also because Haas was an eminent scholar and authority on the subject of Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939). Robert Haas discovered Alphonse Mucha while a student at the Ringling College of Art and Design. Throughout his life as he pursued examples of period art by Mucha, he also maintained a friendly corresponde ... More | |
Kanye West is expanding his repertoire to include opera, premiering a new production entitled "Nebuchadnezzar" in Los Angeles on November 24, 2019. Angela Weiss / AFP.
NEW YORK (AFP).- Kanye West is expanding his repertoire to include opera, premiering a new production entitled "Nebuchadnezzar" in Los Angeles on November 24. West tweeted art announcing the new production that will feature music from his Sunday Service choir over the weekend, as southern California's Hollywood Bowl venue said tickets would go on sale Monday. Exactly what the opera, which is directed by Italian performance artist Vanessa Beecroft, will depict is unclear, but the title suggests it will focus on the ancient Babylonian king it's named for. West had discussed Nebuchadnezzar in a wide-ranging interview with Apple music while promoting his recently released gospel album and Imax film, "Jesus Is King." The mercurial rapper, who in recent months has shed his myriad personas to reveal himself as a born-again weaver of gospel and rap, described how the ancient ruler had inspired him, saying they had both been diagnosed ... More |
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| | Sotheby's Milan announces sale of Modern & Contemporary Art | | Russell Lee: A Documentarian's personal Kodachromes exhibition opens at The Redwood Library & Athenæum | | Exhibition of hyperreal charcoal drawings by Robert Longo opens at Metro Pictures |
Salvatore Scarpitta, Untitled. 64 x 53 x 4,5. Estimate: 600,000-800,000. Courtesy Sotheby's.
MILAN.- This Autumn, Sothebys Arte Contemporanea in Milan brings together an eclectic host of artworks by Italian and international artists from esteemed private collections worldwide. A beguiling work on paper by pioneering American painter Cy Twombly, will lead the evening sale with an estimate of 1.200.000-1.800.000. Dating to 1964, the Untitled canvas hails from a revered period in the artists career following multiple residencies in Italy. The artist began a love affair with the country, and in particular the Italian capital, Rome, following an eight-month expedition to Morocco and Europe with fellow artist Robert Rauschenberg (whose work is also represented in the sale) whom he had met in New York at the Art Students League the previous spring. In the years that followed, the duo would return to Europe, and it was during this time that Twombly developed a revolutionary visual language in ... More | |
Reproducing the saturated colors of Lees Kodachrome slides in large scale, the exhibition prints were made by Colson from scans produced using an older drum scanner, adjusted using a range of software suites, and printed using an Epson SureColor P800 printer on archival Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique paper, widely held to provide the best luster finish for brilliance, tonal range, and detail.
NEWPORT, RI.- The Redwood Library & Athenæum announces the opening of its winter exhibition Russell Lee: A Documentarians Private Kodachromes, a gathering of 67 rare color prints of Lees private photographs from the only and most complete set held anywhere in the world now belonging to the Redwood, the sole venue for the exhibition. Specially digitized and printed by Lees friend J.B. Colson, a University of Texas photojournalism professor and photography historian, and unseen till now, these remarkable color photographs were made by Lee on trips in the States, Canada, Mexico, and Norway during the ... More | |
Robert Longo, Fugitive Images. Installation view, 2019. Metro Pictures, New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- The eight monumental, hyperreal charcoal drawings in the exhibition continue Robert Longo's "Destroyer Cycle," a series that focuses on the indelible imagery generated by the current politics of power, greed, aggression, and inhumanity. The title Fugitive Images refers to the transitory appearance and displacement of impactful media images from across the globe. Longo believes it is morally imperative to secure their permanence. Longos drawing of Jamal Khashoggi is central to the exhibition, which includes works depicting a range of world events from disparate locations. The journalist is shown disappearing into a field of static that recalls a television with poor reception, struggling to maintain the picture. In stark contrast to the evanescent portrait of the murdered journalist is a deeply humane drawing of a mass of migrants ... More |
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Why Were Mummified Babies Found in Tutankhamun's Tomb?
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'Spirit of the Southern Speedway' by Hunter Barnes released this week by Reel Art Press
NEW YORK, NY.- Hunter Barnes is one of the foremost documentary photographers working in America today. He is known for his extraordinary ability to document aspects of culture and communities ignored by the mainstream and often misrepresented in the modern American narrative. Spirit of the Southern Speedways sees Barnes turn his singular attention to the world of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). Invited to go on the road with Chip Ganassi Racing over a period of four months, Barnes was given extraordinary access to NASCAR culture. In order to capture the heart of the sport he fully immersed himself into the racing community; the drivers, teams and the crowds. Spending time in the parking lot with fans for a week before each race to fully experience the spirit of NASCAR, he met and photographed the die-hard fans and ... More
The Chicago Symphony's brass is world-famous. Hear it blast
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE ).- What distinguishes one top-rank orchestra from another? For the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, its long been the brass. For decades, the Chicago brass has been prized for its majesty, virtuosity and sheer power. From its modern-day origins under Rafael Kubelik and Fritz Reiner to the brawny blasts of the Georg Solti era to the subtler approaches taken by Daniel Barenboim and now Riccardo Muti, brass has long been central to the ensembles sound. The Chicago brass: This was a way of referring to the Chicago Symphony even when I was a young student in the conservatory in Milano, said Muti, 78, who is in his 10th season as music director. Barenboim, Chicagos conductor from 1991 to 2006, said: When you become music director of a great orchestra, you have to be able to recognize what ... More
Tiffany & Co. fancy intense blue diamond ring to lead Phillips' Jewels Sale at $1.5-2.5 Million
NEW YORK, NY.- Phillips announced highlights from the New York Jewels auction on Monday, 9 December. Comprised of 228 lots, the sale will feature a strong selection of fancy and colorless diamonds, rare gemstones, and signed pieces by leading jewelry makers. Phillips will also host a dedicated online-only sale in tandem with the live auction, which will be open for bidding from 26 November - 11 December. Susan Abeles, Phillips Head of Jewels Americas, said, Following the solid results of our New York auction in June, we are delighted to have assembled a sale of such strong material this season, led by the stunning Tiffany & Co. fancy intense blue diamond ring. It has also been a privilege to work with One Drop this season in offering a lot donated by jewelry designer Sevan Biçakçi, the proceeds of which will help benefit their truly remarkable work. ... More
Colette Senghor, wife of Senegal's poet-president, dies in France
RENNES (AFP).- Colette Senghor, the wife of Leopold Senghor, a poet and philosopher who became first president of post-colonial Senegal, has died in France at the age of 93. She died at her home in Verson, in the western region of Normandy, at the family home, the local council said on Tuesday, expressing its "huge sadness" at her passing. Senegalese President Macky Sall, in a tweet, paid tribute to Senghor, a "discreet woman and the wife in the background of the late President Leopold S. Senghor." Born in eastern France, Colette Senghor married Senghor in 1957, an era when mixed-race couples were extremely rare or taboo. At that time, he was a Socialist lawmaker in colonial-era Senegal, who had sprung to international renown for his poetry and ground-breaking theories about "Negritude" -- the black African experience. In 1960, when ... More
Turkmenistan stages first opera after 19-year ban
ASHGABAT (AFP).- Reclusive Turkmenistan staged its first foreign opera on Tuesday, nearly 19 years after the Central Asian country's founding president banned the art form as "incompatible with Turkmen mentality". A state theatre in the capital Ashgabat was packed for the staging of 19th century Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera "Pagliacci" ("Clowns") as part of an international drama festival. Older spectators leaving the theatre late on a cool Tuesday night voiced a nostalgia for the long-taboo art form while younger spectators enthused over the performance. Mekan Byashimov, a 54-year-old schoolteacher said he hoped that operas would be staged regularly and that ballet would also make a reappearance on the national stage. "We used to have good premieres. I went regularly. If we want to call ourselves a cultured nation, we ... More
Art Design Chicago to return in 2024, with increased budget and new grant opportunities
CHICAGO, IL.- The Terra Foundation for American Art today announced that it will launch Art Design Chicago 2024. Through exhibitions, academic and public programs, and publications, the initiative will examine Chicago as a critical site for the exchange of ideas and meeting of cultures, from the past and into the present, and highlight the ways in which these dynamic confluences within the city have shaped creative innovation and civic life. Building on the success of Art Design Chicago 2018, which drew approximately 2.5 million people across its yearlong run, the 2024 edition will place additional emphasis on community outreach and audience engagement efforts, highlight the work of contemporary artists and designers, and encourage more projects that capture the narratives and contributions of immigrant and other under-represented groups. ... More
Doris Day's two day auction event announced by Julien's Auctions
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Juliens Auctions has announced Property from the Estate of Doris Day, their exclusive two-day auction event celebrating the life and career of the legendary American actress, singer and animal rights pioneer, Doris Day, will take place a day after what would have been her 98th birthday Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, 2020 at Juliens Auctions in Beverly Hills and live online at juliensauctions.com. It was also announced today that all proceeds of the auction will benefit The Doris Day Animal Foundation, the Hollywood icons charity founded in 1978 that funds nonprofit causes that need assistance in their work, caring for and protecting animals. On offer is an exclusive collection of her most iconic costumes and memorabilia from her films and television shows and specials, furnishings and household items from her beloved ... More
Handbags x Hype features the largest collection of Supreme offered at Christie's
NEW YORK, NY.- Christies New York announces Handbags X HYPE, featuring a Collection of SUPREME Skateboards & Accessories, which will include the largest selection of Supreme ever offered at Christies. The collection of Supreme is presented alongside the most comprehensive selection of limited-edition handbags ever presented at auction spanning custom horseshoe Hermès, runway pieces by Chanel, artist collaboration pieces, and more. The online sale will be open for bidding from November 26 to December 10. Working alongside consignor Ibrahim Itani, founder of Plus, the Canadian streetwear superstore, and expert Byron Hawes, Christies has pulled together a curated selection of the rarest and most covetable collaboration pieces ever produced by Supreme. The collection begins with the Copyright Boards, the very first set made ... More
Miller & Miller announces highlights included in its Watches & Jewelry auction
NEW HAMBURG.- Luxury watches by famous makes such as Omega, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Piaget and others, plus an exquisite selection of equally luxurious jewelry items, to include custom-crafted diamond, emerald and ruby rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and brooches will be in Miller & Millers Watches & Jewelry Auction on Saturday, November 23rd. The event will be held online and in Miller & Millers gallery at 59 Webster Street in New Hamburg, Ontario. A total of 380 lots will come up for bid, with the jewelry items boasting high-quality golds, diamonds, tanzanite and colored stones, while the watches were all functioning at the time of cataloging. Any one of these fine lots would make an outstanding holiday present. An expected top lot of the sale is a superb mens Patek Philippe 5110P World Time platinum wristwatch, with a deployant clasp, ... More
Hollis Taggart now represents William Buchina
NEW YORK, NY.- Hollis Taggart announced representation of artist William Buchina, whose paintings meld a wide spectrum of images, symbols, and references into Surrealist-style amalgamations. The gallery has previously included Buchina in a range of exhibitions, including most recently in Highlight: Chelsea in fall 2018. With the rapid expansion of its contemporary program and primary market business under Hollis Taggart Contemporary, the gallery is now formalizing its relationship with the artist. To mark the new collaboration, the gallery will feature a selection of Buchinas works in a two-person exhibition in January 2020, which will be presented at its space dedicated to contemporary art on W. 25th. This will be followed by a solo presentation at Hollis Taggarts flagship location on W. 26th in June 2020. The news follows the announcement that ... More
Paddle8 announces new CEO
NEW YORK, NY.- Paddle8, the leading cultural e-commerce and benefit auction platform today announces the appointment of Valentine Uhovski as new CEO, with immediate effect. Uhovski joined the brand this summer as Head of Partnerships, Marketing and Social Media from Tumblr where he served as Head of Fashion, Culture and Events for seven years. Uhovskis appointment as CEO comes on the heels of a 2 year business turnaround under CEO Izabela Depczyk, who will transition into an advisory role helping to spearhead partnerships and expansion of Paddle8 business in selected key markets in Europe and Asia. Im incredibly proud of what weve achieved at Paddle8 in the two years Ive served as CEO, states Depczyk. Valentine is best primed to lead the business in its next chapter of growth and development; he has the vision and ... More
Christie's Paris Design Sale achieves a total of $10,077,273
PARIS.- This season again, the Design sale has attracted international collectors achieving a total of 9,089,000/£7,780,678/$10,077,273 with sell-through rates of 91% by value and 85% by lot. This result is the third highest total for a various-owner Design sale at Christie's in Paris. Flavien Gaillard, Head of Sale, commented: The strong results totalised today demonstrate that global collectors are continuously eager to acquire fresh to the market works of art. These great sell-through rates state once again that international collectors have a strong appetite for well-priced high quality works of art with important provenance. We are especially delighted about the results achieved for the section dedicated to the works by Jean-Michel Frank and Alberto Giacometti for the prestigious Born family which realised exceptional results such as for the Lampe Bilboquet ... More
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PhotoGalleries
Mary Cameron
Treasures
Antonio Canova
Live Forever
Flashback On a day like today, Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico died November 20, 1978. Giorgio de Chirico (July 10, 1888 - November 20, 1978) was a Greek-born Italian artist. In the years before World War I, he founded the scuola metafisica art movement, which profoundly influenced the surrealists. After 1919, he became interested in traditional painting techniques, and worked in a neoclassical or neo-Baroque style, while frequently revisiting the metaphysical themes of his earlier work. In this image: Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico stands in front of one of his paintings in his apartment in Rome, Italy on Feb. 12, 1955.
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