Euripides

The drawing Euripides by Giorgio de Chirico, executed in 1921, demonstrates the artist's masterful draftsmanship using pencil on paper. Classified as a drawing, this piece exemplifies the "return to order" aesthetic dominating Italian art during this period. The choice of Euripides, one of the three great tragedians of classical Greece, highlights Chirico’s abiding fascination with antiquity and mythological subjects, a hallmark of his post-Metaphysical phase. This work serves as an important document of the stylistic shifts undertaken by the artist in the early 1920s.

Chirico’s focus here is precision and density, utilizing the pencil medium to render form with exacting detail, differing significantly from the enigmatic, vacant plazas found in his earlier output. During this moment, many Italian artists sought stability by reviving academic structures, and this drawing reflects that commitment to traditional representation and classical forms. The artist often used historical figures not merely as portraits but as symbols of enduring intellectual structures. The technical execution suggests a careful study of antique sculpture or Renaissance drawings, emphasizing volume through controlled shading and contour lines, indicating a commitment to disegno.

The resulting intensity of this portrait makes it a key example of Chirico's sustained exploration of classicism following the First World War. As a pivotal drawing from this transitional phase, the work is highly valued for research and historical reference, often reproduced in scholarly texts. While the original drawing remains a vital part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), high-quality reference prints of the image are widely accessible for educational use. This piece firmly anchors Chirico’s significant contribution to the evolving visual culture of the post-war era.