Giorgio de Chirico

Signor Florindo Baldacci (acquired by 1961)
Galleria La Barcaccia, Roma
Galleria Rizziero, Pescara
Private Collection, Milan (acquired from the above circa 1980; sale: Christie's, Milan, 21st May 2007, lot 452)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Claudio Bruni Sakraischik, Catalogo Generale Giorgio de Chirico, Milan, 1983, vol. VII, no. 1112, illustrated n.p.

The canvas is not lined. There are few scattered areas of retouching visible under UV light, including some scattered specks to the sky, three small areas in the fort and intermittent specks along all four framing edges. There are two artist's pinholes towards the centre of the upper edge. This work is in good condition. Colours: Fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, although the colours are overall brighter and more vibrant in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Giorgio de Chirico had posited: 'To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams' (Charles Harrison & Dr Paul Wood, Art in Theory, 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, London, 2002, p. 58).

Depicting three horses in a near caricatural and expressionistic style. Cavalli presso un castello dramatically revisits one of de Chirico's most iconic images, reaffirming the subject within the artist's œvure. Although the work was executed at a time when the art scene found itself divided between abstraction and figuration, the artistic style is reminiscent of the baroque, as it recalls a painterly approach. A true pioneer of his time, de Chirico was one of the few artists who sought to innovate contemporary approaches to painting, while reinterpreting a classic artistic language anchored in tradition. Hence, the resultant artwork creates a ruptured continuity with past artistic traditions, as well as the artist's own style.