Chirico Art and Comparison

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Anne Chen

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Journal

“Giorgio de Chirico, Hector and Andromache”

“Hector from Andromache's embrace went to arms, and it was his wife who placed his helmet upon his head.” The poignant love story of Hector and Andromache can draw “tears down Pluto’s cheek.” Andromache, the epitome of the loyal and beautiful wife, sends her husband, Hector, off to the Trojan War. Although Hector does not believe in the cause of the Trojan War, he fights out of obligation to his country. The brave Hector leaves his wife and son, Astyanax, behind the safe walls of Troy. Upon leaving Troy, Hector faces the Greek warrior, Ajax. These two courageous warriors fight to a standstill; both admit their admiration for each other, trade gifts, and depart. However, Hector must face a tougher opponent. After a long and savage battle, Achilles rises as the victor. He drags the body of Hector throughout the battlefield, around the walls of Troy, and right under the weeping eyes of Andromache. The wailing Andromache declares, “Then [myself] having been overpowered and ruined, whatever has come to pass, I endure rigid and without emotion, being numbed by hardships.

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The tragedy of their romance rings true in Giorgio de Chirico’s painting. The haunting dreamscapes infused with illogical images, bizarre spatial constructions, and a pervasive melancholic mood perfectly portrays the chaos where Hector and Andromache’s love flourished. Inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s writing, de Chirico used strange juxtapositions such as large shadows of public monuments cast by a setting sun; these odd depictions surround the lovers with hidden realities. When Hector and Andromache embrace, all else is but an illusion. Only love prevails. De Chirico dubbed his art as “metaphysical” and with it hoped to destabilize the meaning of everyday objects ...

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