Giorgio de Chirico-Metaphysical Interior with Sun Which Dies 1971
I am a fan of painter Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) and his early metaphysical paintings. They were strongly colored with a darkness beneath that pushed the colors forward while heightening the sense of 
mystery in each painting. This work was a large influenced on my early work.
I have described here in the past how de Chirico tried to change the style and look of his paintings to a more traditional and mundane style in mid career, which never garnered the same sort of acclaim as his earlier more surreal work for which he is best known, such as Mystery shown here on the right.
This lack of enthusiasm for his newer non- metaphysical work was a cause of consternation for de Chirico. In response he began to produce self-forgeries in the style of his earlier work and would backdate them so that they appeared to fall into the period where his work garnered the most acclaim, 1909-1919.
Later in life, in the 1970’s before his death in 1978, he returned to his metaphysical roots using the actual dates. To my eye, the work lacks the depth and style of his early work but it is still interesting, especially in the context of his entire career. I came across this group of sun paintings from this later period that I had never seen before. While they are not my favorites, lacking the same sort of mystery and depth ( and polish) of his earlier work, I thought they deserved to be entered into the conversation.
Plus they sort of line up with this week’s Sunday Morning musical selection which is a song most of us know well, You Are My Sunshine. It is generally performed in an upbeat fashion that makes it seem ike an optimistic tune. But if you listen to the lyrics closely it is about a person who has lost their love to another and is issuing threats in a way, as seen in this verse:
I’ll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another
You’ll regret it all one day
The version selected for this morning is from The Dead South who I featured here in the past with their song In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company. Great song. Their new version of You Are My Sunshine captures the real brooding tone of the song. It certainly made me think about the song in a different way than I had in the past.
Give a listen and see what you think. There are more of de Chirico’s later pieces below the song.
Redtree Times 