Giorgio Morandi

Passage, 1913

Autoportrait, 1925

Courtyard on the Via Fondazza, circa 1954

Giorgio Morandi (Bologna, July 20, 1890 – June 18, 1964) was an Italian painter and printmaker who specialized in still life. His paintings are noted for their tonal subtlety in depicting apparently simple subjects, which were limited mainly to vases, bottles, bowls, flowers and landscapes.

Artist statement: "I draw inspiration from the Italian Renaissance painters when I think about my compositions and subjects. However, while they focused on luscious fruits and flowers, I believe stripping down these objects to their essential shapes. A balanced composition not only comes from the arrange of objects, but their color and weight. “I am essentially a painter of the kind of still life composition that communicates a sense of tranquility and privacy, moods which I have always valued above all else.”