De Chirico and the Theatre

The artist Giorgio de Chirico's relationship with Rome, theatre and opera

Serlachius Headquarters 15 March — 17 August 2025

The exhibition tells of Giorgio de Chirico’s (1888–1978) intense relationship with Rome, the city where he lived and worked for thirty years. There is a particular emphasis on de Chirico’s theatrical output – the costumes and sets of performances seen at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.

The exhibition presents a wide range of paintings and drawings of de Chirico’s lesser-known neo-metaphysical and neo-Baroque work, which he bequeathed to the foundation that bears his name. Some of the works have never before been exhibited to the general public.

The exhibition has been realised in collaboration with Fondazione Giorgio e Isa de Chirico, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Fondazione Cerratelli and Civita Mostre e Musei. Curators of the exhibition are Hannu Palosuo, Italo Nunziata, Cornelia Bujin and Lorenzo Canova.

Based on de Chirico’s design, stage backdrop is painted at Rome Opera, Photograph: Fabrizio Sansoni.
Based on de Chirico’s design, stage backdrop is painted at Rome Opera, Photograph: Fabrizio Sansoni.
Gathering the stage backdrop painted based on de Chirico’s design. Photograph: Fabrizio Sansoni.
Artist Giorgio de Chirico. Photograph: Gina Lollobrigida.

“I am sorry, but I had to tell these gentlemen (critics and my enemies) some bad news. I have decided, if God allows, to stay and work in Italy and… most likely in Rome. Gentlemen, yes, I want to stay and work here, to work more and better, to work for my fame and for your punishment.” 
Giorgio de Chirico

Giorgio de Chirico

Giorgio de Chirico is known for developing the metaphysical art movement in the 1910s. His paintings depict strange spaces and landscapes where architectural elements and perspectives create a dreamlike and often oppressive atmosphere. De Chirico is considered one of the most significant innovators in 20th-century painting.

De Chirico was born in 1888 to an Italian family in Greece. He studied in Athens, Florence, and Germany, where he became acquainted with the ideas of renowned German philosophers such as Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. These had a significant impact on the development of his art.

De Chirico was a prolific writer who extensively discussed the nature of art and culture in his texts. Opera, theatre, and ballet were close to his heart. During his career, he designed sets and costumes for dozens of performances.

The exhibition De Chirico and the Theatre presents for the first time a comprehensive display of the artist’s set and costume designs for opera and ballet performances. The exhibition also includes authentic costumes from the Rome Opera and sets repainted for the opera based on his designs. His drawings for opera performances have never been publicly exhibited before.

The exhibition features numerous paintings from the collections of the Giorgio and Isa de Chirico Foundation, representing the artist’s later works. After settling permanently in Rome, he returned to the themes of his youth’s metaphysical and baroque periods, creating even more refined art.

Main image: Giorgio de Chirico, Sole sul cavalletto, detail of the artwork, 1972, oil on canvas. Photograph: G. Schiavinotto.