The Poet and the Philosopher

This study for a painting belongs to De Chirico's Metaphysical period (1911 - 1917), when, inspired by the philosophy of Nietzsche, he created enigmatic and melancholy scenes that turn the commonplace into the unfamiliar. A seated mannequin, which for de Chirico represented "ineffable and mysterious poetry," often appears in these works. Here it is contemplating a painting of stars and constellations while the philosopher, also faceless, is seated at a desk behind him. The haunting atmosphere of De Chirico's paintings was an important source of inspiration for the Surrealists, two of whom, poets André Breton and Paul Eluard, previously owned this drawing.