Giorgio Morandi

Giorgio Morandi’s muted, contemplative still lifes convey endless variety within the arrangements of unremarkable objects. The artist’s practice evolved from early experiments with the avant-garde movements of his day, such as Cubism and Futurism, into an idiosyncratic painting style that espoused small-scale canvases featuring simple renditions of vases, bottles, bowls, and flowers. The resulting compositions feel intimate, domestic, and tranquil, though close, repeated viewings reveal an astounding perceptual intelligence at work. Morandi studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna and became briefly involved with artists such as Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, and Giorgio de Chirico before embracing his signature style. His work has been exhibited in New York, London, Milan, Paris, Bologna, and Brussels and belongs in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Centre Pompidou, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d’Orsay, the Museo Reina Sofía, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tate.