“Gladiators! This word contains an enigma.” —Giorgio de Chirico, 1929 We’re pleased to present a selection of works from Giorgio de Chirico’s “Gladiator” series created between 1927–1930 in Paris as part of Independent 20th Century in September. Nearly a decade after creating his famed Metaphysical paintings, Giorgio de Chirico (b. 1888, Volos, Greece; d. 1978 Rome, Italy) embarked on a new series of works that summoned the gladiatorial tradition from ancient Rome. In the wake of critical backlash from the Italian and French artistic communities for his departure from his Metaphysical paintings and the rise of fascism in Italy, de Chirico rendered the gladiators with elusive expressions and gawky bodies, at once invoking his Classical heritage and reflecting his own fraught sense of artistic belonging. See you at the fair September 8–11, 2022, at the Battery Maritime Building at Cipriani South Street. __ Image: Giorgio de Chirico, Scuola di Gladiatori (School of Gladiators, ca. 1928 #dechirico #giorgiodechirico #independent20c @independent_hq