''The Melancholy of Departure'' ( it, Melanconia della partenza, link=no) is a 1916 painting by the Italian
metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico
Giuseppe Maria Alberto Giorgio de Chirico ( , ; 10 July 1888 – 20 November 1978) was an Italian
artist and writer born in Greece. In the years before World War I, he founded the '' scuola metafisica'' art movement, which profoundly influ ...
. This painting was created after Chirico returned to Italy from Paris to join the
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
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, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
During this time Chirico was moving away from the bright open scenes of his previous work. He was now focusing on more abstract combinations of objects and indoor settings, and seeking to paint the hidden meanings behind the surface of things. The themes of travel and departure are present in much of Chirico's canon, as seen in his many paintings of trains and railways stations.
This painting depicts a random cluster of objects used to make paintings, and an easel which holds up a triangular map. The map shows a channel between two land masses with outlines of different routes. The surroundings are the inside of a room at night. The room has an open archway through which can be seen a tower.
This is the second painting by Chirico by this title after his 1914 work ''
Gare Montparnasse (The Melancholy of Departure)''.
Legacy
In 1987 the American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
musicians
Mark Isham
Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and film composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a film composer, having worked on numerous films and ...
and
Art Lande released a song titled "The Melancholy of Departure" on their collaborative album ''
We Begin
''We Begin'' (1987) is a collaborative album by the American jazz musicians Mark Isham and Art Lande. It is a highly experimental album featuring a wide range of compositional styles.
The first track on the album is a piece titled “ The Melan ...
''.
Sources
Tate Modern
1916 paintings
Paintings by Giorgio de Chirico
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