GIORGIO DE CHIRICO | Guerriero Frigio col Suo Cavallo e Un Tempietto (Phrygian Warrior with his Horse and a Small Temple)

Private Collection, Washington, D.C. (acquired circa 1965)
Private Collection, Washington, D.C. (by descent from the above)
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, 11th November 1999, lot 416
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Executed on cream wove paper, laid down and hinged to the overmount in four places along the verso of each corner. The sheet is time-stained, and there is a minor mount stain to the extreme edges, not visible when framed. There is a minor semi-circular surface scratch in the right corner below the figure's feet and to the left of the horse's leg, measuring approximately 3cm. The colours are fresh and this work is in overall good condition.
"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's Italian parents moved to Volos, Greece when his father, an engineer, found work there. The exposure to the antique world and the influence of his father’s passion and profession would deeply influence the artist’s style. Classical mythology, history and architecture provided endless sources of inspiration for the young artist, and de Chirico regularly combined such subjects with contemporary settings and anecdotes. De Chirico spent much of his adolescence wandering through museums and studying the great Italian artistic traditions, particularly the Baroque period, which greatly informed his painterly style. In the 1920s, de Chirico abandoned his unique early Surrealist style, which had had a great influence on the group of artists gathered around André Breton, and in turning to the Classical world as a new source of inspiration, he embraced the avant-garde trend led by Pablo Picasso’s Neo-Classical period.

Guerriero Frigio col Suo Cavallo e Un Tempietto is a splendid example of the subject of animals in an enigmatic locale, which was to become one of the most iconic mythological subjects in de Chirico’s oeuvre. He would return to this theme frequently, surrounding his equine figures with antique ruins and classical human figures as seen in the present work. 



The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico.