Giorgio Morandi

Private Collection, Milan

Private Collection, France

MDG Fine Arts Ltd., London

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Copenhagen, Kunstforeningen, Giorgio Morandi, 1968, no. 16

Lamberto Vitali, Morandi, Dipinti, catalogo generale, volume secondo, 1948/1964, Milan, 1994, no. 1014, illustrated

Original canvas. No retouching visible under UV light. This work is in excellent condition. The colors are slightly more muted than in the catalogue illustration.
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The present work depicts a dynamic ensemble of objects that vary in size, shape, design and finish. The play of light and shadow between the objects emphasizes their three-dimensionality, a departure from Morandi's more abstract works of this period. While the painting displays a subtle coloration characteristic of the artist's still-lifes, the cool tone of the background stands in contrast with the pink and yellow of the two containers in the front row. In contrast to the austere, highly geometrical style of Morandi's later still-lifes, the present Natura morta displays a rich and dynamic composition, combining the verticality of the jugs and bottles with the strong rectangular shapes of these two colorful cannisters. The sense of classical beauty and harmony in the present work is derived from the elegance and stone-like coloration of the jars, which is amplified by the curves and flutes of the bottle in the center, reminiscent of an ancient Greek column.