Artists in Italy: Giorgio Morandi

Giorgio Morandi, Still Life, 1953. Oil on canvas, 8 x 15 7/8 in.(20.3 x 40.3 cm). The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., Acquired 1954.

Giorgio Morandi, Still Life, 1953. Oil on canvas, 8 x 15 7/8 in. (20.3 x 40.3 cm). The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., Acquired 1954.

Read part one and part two in this series.

Lastly, the native Italian Giorgio Morandi,  born in Bologna in 1890, studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Bologna where he trained in the classical Italian and Flemish styles of painting. During his last years there, his style began to change, having been briefly influenced by futurism and other modern trends. The arrangements of objects seen in Still Life, 1953 (shown above) and Still Life, 1950 (shown below) reflect his mature style. His earthy and subdued palette corresponds in tone to the Prendergast piece, which draws a connection between the oldest and the newest work on display here, highlighting the continual influence Italy exerted on these artists who depicted its beauty.

 Drew Lash, Curatorial Intern

Giorgio Morandi, Still Life, 1950. Oil on canvas, 14 1/8 x 18 5/8 in. (35.9 x 47.3 cm). The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., Acquired 1957.

Giorgio Morandi, Still Life, 1950. Oil on canvas, 14 1/8 x 18 5/8 in. (35.9 x 47.3 cm). The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., Acquired 1957.

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