The Conquest of the Philosopher

The Conquest of the Philosopher

Giorgio de Chirico, 1914

“On the earth. There are many more enigmas in the shadow of a man who walks in the sun

than in all the religions of the past, present and future.” G.C.

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531

Characteristics of The Philosopher’s Conquest

Oil on canvas, 125.8 x 100.3 cm

Signed at lower right “G. de Chirico”

Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.

Provenance: Paul Guillaume, Paris; Valentine Gallery, New York (in 1928); Pierre Matisse,

New York; Joseph Winterbotham, Chicago (donated to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1939).

Exhibitions in 1926 (Paris) and 1928 (New York).

Bibliography:

La Révolution Surréaliste, 1 October 1927, n. 9-10, p. 27

Breton 1928a (with the title Joies et énigmes d’une heure étrange) no. 27

Leiris 1929, (with the title Nature morte. Turino printanière), p. 312

Sweet 1939, p. 90. Concordances.

Soby 1955, p. 188

Bruni 1971-87, 1,1 no.21

Fagiolo 1984a, no. 45


From the formalistic point of view, we observe that

this artwork clearly shows some known objects to the

viewer. There are tall and made of stone buildings at the

upper right/middle sides of the picture, whereas the sails

of a ship attract attention at the background, between

these two tall buildings. Other obvious object is certainly

the train passing by with its fume exhausting. It is formed

by one locomotive and three wagons. In the upper middle

part of the picture, there is a watch which shows one and

a half in the afternoon, since it is a daybreak time. There

is also one incomplete and white object which is not easy

to recognize. However some part of it reminds me a gun

carriage that is ready to be used in a war, while two white

objects on this carriage looks like the toes of two fingers or they may be the knees of an

ancient Greek statue or simply two white balls. Anyway, it is not that clear and that makes us

say that they are in fact uncharacteristic objects. There are two vegetable-like objects which

could be artichoke. We can furthermore observe that there are flags on a hill or a castle-like

building, being visible from a window of a building settled at the right side of the artwork.

Even though we cannot see the details clearly, the building at the right looks so plain and

simple which is a reminder of ancient architecture. Lastly, there are shadows of only one flag

and two people, probably conversing.

The picture is not difficult to read or see, since the objects are represented in a

perfectly obvious manner. However, as we feel, there are lots of questions regarding to the

origins of these objects. Why are they used is the first question. After getting the individual

reasons of usage of these distinct objects, we

should ask what the aim of collecting especially

these objects together is. Do they mean something

different together, distinct from while they’re

individually represented? The answers to these

questions will take us to the whole meaning of this

artwork done by de Chirico who is an Italian artist,

being pretty influential for Rene Magritte who has

also a similar genre.

In order to interpret the iconographic base of

the Conquest of the Philosopher, we should take

each object into consideration. The first object

which gets my attention is the train. Its movement

reminds me the time passing by. The watch above

is also supportive for this interpretation: the train

could symbolize the time. However, when I gaze at

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 the picture in a collective point of view, I realize that there are elements in the composition

which belong to the different eras of the history. The statue-like object is a common object in

de Chirico’s works. There are ancient Greek sculptures (head or body parts) interestingly

replaced in the composition (see the Soothsayer’s Recompense, Song of Love, the

Transformed Dream etc). The ship looks like a representation of the era of geographic

explorations which has a great significance for

the Western economics as well as thinking

world. The train is also a part of one of this

improvement eras, since it’s first invented by

James Watt and actually became one of the

triggers of the French Revolution around the

continent Europe. The train was used as the

most important load vehicle after the ship at the

times before and during World War I. The

technological development of train was also

valuable, since it started to enlarge the physics

of thermodynamics and opened new doors to

engineering. If we look at the ancient Greek

sculptures, ship and train in a common base, we

may be aware of the significance of this

combination in terms of reasoning and thinking

levels of Western world. All these objects or

eras in which these objects are begun to be used had enhanced the philosophical and

scientific thinking, because they simply destroyed the limits of their eras. The tall buildings

which look like factories because of the exhausting fume seem to be a symbol of Industrial

Revolution, as well. The improved philosophy and experimental philosophy which is indeed

the modern science were the main parts of these technological developments. The ancient

architecture at the right is an object which is quite encountered in de Chirico’s art (see Piazza

d’Italia) and we know that the ancient Greek is the actual beginning of free thought and

philosophy.

All these are the milestones of history of thought. But, what is the relation between

these symbols and flags, gun carriage and artichoke? The date of the artwork could be a

clue at this stage of the interpretation. The work is completed in 1914 which is starting date

of World War I and indeed the gun carriage is a kind of symbol of war. Interestingly, the

artichoke is accepted as a symbol of peace at the some parts of world. So, I am almost

convinced about the existence of a war theme in this picture. Anyway, the flags look like the

representation of the countries in war, but why just one flag shadow on the ground? It may

be interpreted as the winning country or alliance’s flag and maybe the two people shadows

are supportive for this suggestion. Since, it is clear that the only winners of this war are

United Kingdom and France.


World War I is the summit of the developments in thought world of humanity until that

specific time. The colonization has started with the usage of seaways and it has grown into a

very serious level which can be called as imperialism with the usage of railroads. Even

though all these developments also augmented the level of thinking in human, World War I

became the inflation point of this accumulated knowledge, because people chose it to be like

that. People preferred the war rather than the peace. That is why it makes sense to interpret

this picture as a timeline of humanity heads for a world war. Although it is an artwork, not a

written academic paper, this composition might discover the essential causes of a possible

world war. The watch could symbolize all this process; however I have still some questions

regarding the watch and the moment which it shows.

In order to find out more about the story of this artwork, we should take a look at the life and

philosophy of de Chirico. If the iconological research supports the iconographic assumptions,

we can conclude the interpretation as sensible.

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 About de Chirico & its Philosophy in Art

Chirico was a symbolist artist amongst his contemporaries, mostly Cubist and Futurist artists.

As mentioned by his contemporaries, his art was extremely different from them.

“…The art of this young painter is an interior and cerebral art which bears no relation with

that of the painters of recent years. It comes from neither Matisse nor Picasso, nor does it

derive from the Impressionists. Its originality is so novel as to merit serious note…” 1

Even though he was not the first user of metaphysicist in art, he was qualified with this title.

When we look at his pictures, we realize the metaphysical reality in his artworks and the

Conquest of the Philosopher is only one example of it. One of the obvious reasons of this

might be his philosophical readings. We know that he has been reading Nietzsche, fervently

and furthermore he decided to apply Nietzschean thoughts into his paintings before creating

his metaphysical reality in art.

“Do you know who is the most profound of all poets? You will probably think immediately of

Dante and Goethe and others of that ilk. But these are all misunderstandings, for the most

profound of all poets is called Friedrich Nietzsche. When I told you that my paintings are

profound, you doubtlessly imagined colossal compositions filled with nude figures trying to

overcome something, the kinds of compositions executed by the stupidest of all artists:

Michelangelo.

No my dear friend, we are talking of something else entirely, Profundity, as Nietzsche and I

myself understand it, it not to be found where is has heretofore been sought. […] I shall

whisper a secret in your ear: I am the only man who has truly understood Nietzsche. Every

one of my paintings is proof of this.” 2

The letters to Gartz, his friend, continues and they enlighten us about de Chirico’s art

philosophy.

“…After having read the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, I became aware that there is a host of

strange, unknown, solitary things which can be translated into painting. I meditated a long

time. Then I began to have my first revelations. I drew less, I even somewhat forgot how to

draw, but every time I did it was under the drive of necessity. Then I understood certain

vague sensations which I had previously been unable to explain. The language that the

things of this world sometimes speak; the seasons of the year the hours of the day. The

epochs of history too.” 3

1 Apollinaire, 9 October in L’Intransigeant.

2 Chirico’s letter to Gartz in 26 January, 1910.

3 Chirico’s letter written in Paris of 1911-1912.

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 De Chirico discusses about the objects which have their own languages. He calls them as

“strange, unknown and solitary” things which are hard to understand. In order to understand

them well, one should study and learn about their languages. For example, from his own

writings we can say that the seasons of the year, the hours of the day, the epoch of the

history, all these and many others have secret languages and that is why one must learn to

“the enigma of things which are generally considered insignificant.” This makes us conclude

the symbolism of de Chirico is based on nietzschean understanding of objects. It is important

to get this philosophical influence on de Chirico, since the year 1914 is the year in which his

signs and symbolism will get rid of all logical reference points, having juxtapositions in his

pictures. Even though he will name this artistic and poetic understanding as the solitude of

signs” only in 1919, it is apparent that his metaphysical reality has begun to develop even

before 1914. However, it has utmost significance for us to emphasize that the Conquest of

the Philosopher’s been created in early 1914. Before going into deeper, let us mention the

juxtapositions, separating the objects from their familiar environments and introducing them

into new frames are one of the turning points of art. This technique will first fascinate Rene

Magritte with the Song of Love (1914) and put a great influence on his so to speak semi-

Surrealist art.

His first product that connects his nietzschean revelations and the understanding of enigma

is The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon.

The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon, 1909

De Chirico quotes, “A truly immortal work of art can only be born through revelation” and we

see that he has formed his revelations when he had made his trips to different Italian cities

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 such as Florence. Also, this is time he starts sketching in his drawing notebook. Since he

experiences his poetic revelations during these brief trips, he sketches the composition from

different perspectives and studies them at home, transforming them into paintings.

Interpreting his early works is important in terms of de Chirico’s understanding of

architecture. He is not interested in Renaissance and Baroque epochs, but only in Roman

architecture, ancient monuments which are connected to myths. As Baldacci states de

Chirico effectively equated Roman architecture with the stylistic, linguistic and sonant power

of poetry.4

“Latin is capable of representing these mysteries better than any other language. The same

is true for Roman architecture. Rome was the dwelling place of such mysteries…” 5

Even de Chirico takes notes of the Temple of Vesta as a future model for his painted towers.

He is also doing the same for some other architectural pieces like, Tomb of Cecilia Metella

and the towers of the Porta San Sebastiano.

In addition to that, The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon is the first metaphysical painting

which is pretty different from the ones who precede it and at the same time the prototype for

the ones that follow. The piazza in the picture is Piazza Santa Croce which is the one of the

revelation places of de Chirico. What is important for us to get from this first enigma picture

during the interpretation of the Conquest of the Philosopher is the sign of dualism that de

Chirico used in Conquest of the Philosopher, as well. A prop, looks like a wall, in The Enigma

of an Autumn Afternoon and the wall in the Conquest of the Philosopher apparently divide

the space into two parts. The area which is close to the viewer or the piazza has the

characteristics of immobility as well as silence, whereas the place after the arcade has the

life and movement. While the sails in the Enigma of Autumn Afternoon give this effect, the

train passing by, sails and the chimneys exhausting fume are the obvious signs of movement

in the Philosopher’s Conquest. Clearly, the sails indicate that there is a sea out there.

Moreover, it should be noted that this dualism is not only immobility vs. mobility dualism, but

also a past and future dualism. If we take a look at the picture more carefully, we can actually

justify the iconographic interpretation of timeline. De Chirico’s past which is represented as

the piazza gives the sense of ancient life with the statues and Roman-like architecture,

whereas his future contains sails, industrial chimneys and trains. He clearly reflects the

epochs of the history with this dualism.

One question at this stage of investigation could be the reason of his curiosity in ancient

world, especially classical iconography and myths. It is advocated that he used Greek myths

to overcome Symbolist riddles by relating these myths to his own history. In other words, the

Greek myth with its multiple figures became a metaphor for his life and spiritual adventure.

4 Paolo Baldacci. (1997). De Chirico, the Metaphysical Period (1888-1919). Italy: Bulfinch Press, p. 75

5 De Chirico saying to his friend Pikionis, Baldacci citing Schmied (1994, p. 27, no. 2).

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 That is why it got linked to de Chirico’s personal memories and lost its intellectual meaning in

the eye of him. 6 In a way, de Chirico became a united whole with ancient myths and worlds.

De Chirico also states that he names them under the title of enigma, since they are the

products of quite spiritual moments which are rich of revelations/sensations and lack for

rationale.

The Enigma of the Hour

From now on, we will see the enigma pictures of de Chirico which form the theme of man

facing the mysteries of the universe and trying to solve the puzzles of the world with

interpreting them. These symbols will show themselves in the solid architecture defined by

light and shadow, statues of philosophers looking beyond the horizon, living men walking

around and the sails on an imagined sea.

After reading about Nietzsche, de Chirico continued to understand the mechanism of intuitive

revelation through Schopenhauer. From the combinations of these philosophical thoughts, he

formulated his notion as the grand madness which is unique to the person who is caught on

and in fact is limitless. Rejecting the suggestion of both Schopenhauer and Nietzsche about

the music as the best means of representing it, he thought that the painting is much more

profound than music.


Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 “Music cannot express the nec plus ultra of true feeling. With music one never really knows

what one is dealing with, and after having listened to a piece of music, one has every right to

ask: what does all this mean? With painting, on the other hand, this is impossible, one must

remain silent once having penetrated a painting in all its profundity […], one even

experiences the music there […]”7

It is clear why de Chirico liked playing with architectonic objects. He found the architecture as

concrete and abstract, volume and void, exterior and interior, light and shadow at the same

time. As Baldacci stated, it appeared to him a mysterious toy, whose windows and doors

seemed like eyes and mouths.8 Therefore, architecture became the first metaphysical object

in de Chirico’s world. De Chirico’s brother, Savinio says:

“… I remember that internal anatomy was a frequently recurring element in our poetry, like

an ‘architecture’, like a sort of ‘geography’ of the poetry itself.” 9

What we should extract here is the clock and the name of The Enigma of the Hour, since

clock as a symbol is used in the Conquest of the Philosopher, as well. The clock reflects one

aspect of de Chirico’s immobility theme. It looks like stopped in a moment squeezed between

the past and the future, not belonging to any of them and without the conduit of a present.

This halt gives the sense of temporarily suspended motion, transforming the moving frame

into a frozen scene. The fountain in this picture also supports the symbolism of the eternal

present of the flux of the time. At first, this struck position gives the characteristic of enigma

to the clock and the name of the painting. Also, if we get aware, the clocks of de Chirico

always indicate an hour of the day. The clock in the Enigma of the Hour clearly shows the

frozen metaphysical moment in the scene is from an afternoon, whereas in our picture, the

clock shows the noon which could be a reference to Nietzsche’s great noon symbolized as

the moment of superhuman. Anyway, the colors are much more alive in the Conquest of the

Philosopher and that is again a sign about the hour of the day and an expected great event

that is about to happen.

Some words of de Chirico are indeed important for us during interpretation. One of them is

following:

“It was Turin that inspired the entire series of paintings I created between 1912 and 1915. I

must confess that they also owe much to Friedrich Nietzsche, of whom I was then an

impassioned reader. His Ecce Homo, written in Turin just before his plunge into madness,

helped me greatly in understanding the distinctive beauty of that city. Turin’s true season,

that which best accentuates its metaphysical grace, is autumn. […] The autumnal charm of

Turin is rendered yet more piercing by the rectilinear geometry of its streets and squares,

7 De Chirico, 1985, p.16, Méditations d’un peintre


9 Savinio, 1989, p. 650

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 and by the porticoes which allow one to stroll easily about, no matter what the weather.

These arcades give one the impression that the city was constructed explicitly for

philosophical musings, for concentration and meditation. Turin is a city of apparitions. One

enters a square and comes upon a man of stone, who fixes one with his gaze as only statues

can. Oftentimes the horizon is closed by a wall, from behind which sounds the whistle of a

locomotive, the rumble of a train about to part; all the nostalgia of the infinite is revealed

beneath the geometric precision of piazzas. These moments are unforgettable, when

aspects of the world whose existence we had only suspected suddenly appear to us,

revealing the mysteries which lie there, in every moment, at the limits of our capacities […].”

Turin

The Red Tower, 1913

Since the Conquest of the Philosopher is a part of the products painted between these dates,

we can extract some of the points which he emphasized. It is obvious that de Chirico was

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 painting various scenes from Turin. His interest in architecture illustrated in his paintings can

also be a reflection from Turin. Even though the Conquest of the Philosopher is not loaded in

terms of architecture compared to other artworks of de Chirico, it is clear that there stands

one industrial chimney on the left of the picture, while there is a tower that we cannot see the

top of at the right part of the painting. Also, I personally suspect that there is a red tower as

well in the painting that is not clear to see, however can be realized through the windows of

the building at the right which looks like a mausoleum.

The Great Tower, 1913

What we should also focus is the train whistling, rising from the wall memory of de Chirico

which seems to affect him in a deep sense. The first motif of locomotive shows itself in the

painting called the Delight of the Poet. The train behind the wall again looks like a symbol of

distant, lively and noisy reality, while the piazza is silent, revealing the dualism. In addition to

all these, the locomotive was simply the one of the revelations of de Chirico. It was one of the

creative processes which excited him and gave him happiness. He even wrote a poem-like

passage for his symbol, train:


The Delight of the Poet, 1913

“Little station, little station, what happiness I owe to you.

You look all around, to left and right, also behind you. Your flags snap distractedly, why

suffer? Let us go in, aren’t we already numerous enough? With white chalk or black coal let

us trace happiness and its enigma, the enigma with its affirmation. Beneath the porticoes are

windows, from each window an eye looks us, and from the depths voices call to us. The

happiness of the station comes to us, and goes from us transfigured. Little station, little

station, you are a divine toy. What distraught Zeus has forgot you in this square-geometric

and yellow-near this limpid, disturbing fountain. All your little flags crackle together under the

intoxication of the luminous sky. Behind walls life proceeds like a catastrophe. What does it

all matter to you?

Little station, little station, what happiness I owe to you.”

Apart from our discussion on the Conquest of the Philosopher, it is almost required to

reveal meeting of de Chirico with Guillaume Apollinaire, since the critics emphasize the

changes in the themes of de Chirico after his friendship with him. Apollinaire was a poet and

art critic, having a gallery as well as a warm friendship with Picasso. Critics mention that

Apollinaire and de Chirico influenced each other and Apollinaire played a very important role

in providing a worldwide fame to de Chirico. The objects which might be influential between

two are tall chimneys, bunches of bananas, abandoned house, the vehicles of transport and

the cannon.


The Awakening of Ariadne, 1913

The Transformed Dream, 1913

Indeed, the Conquest of the Philosopher also contains a tall chimney, the vehicles of

transport like a ship and train as well as cannon.

Apollinaire was also interested in the sexual symbolism. The art critics point out that this

characteristic of Apollinaire was influential for de Chirico. In the poetry written by Apollinaire

prior to the meeting de Chirico, objects like Eiffel Tower had sexual connotation with the

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 juxtapositions with feminine forms such as bridges and wells.10 That is why the chimney and

cannon figures in de Chirico’s paintings, such as the Conquest of the Philosopher, are

interpreted as phallic symbols. However, as we have mentioned before, the cannon is seen a

reference to Nietzsche’s great noon and symbol of will to power more than a sexual symbol.

When the cannon in the Conquest of the Philosopher is interpreted in these forms, two balls

upon it are considered as an erect male member, aimed at the sky.

The artworks of de Chirico done between October 1913 and February 1914 are cited under

the theme of “solitude of signs”. Since the Conquest of the Philosopher falls under this

subtitle, analysis of this section has utmost importance.

The Melancholy of the Afternoon

The Melancholy of Afternoon is the first sign of this period with its metallic artichokes which

will be seen in the Conquest of the Philosopher, as well. What is terrific is that the art critics

state the utter meaningless of two artichokes in the middle of the piazza, before the train,

chimney and wall that have symbolic meanings in the genre of de Chirico. It really seems

absurd to place these unreal/metallic artichokes in a frame which is decorated with

philosophical and mythological representations. As Baldacci says, for the first time there is

no apparent logical nexus among the various iconographic components of the painting. Up

until this point, his iconographies had always been founded on philosophical theories,

sensations and thoughts and autobiographical episodes, difficult perhaps to decode and

interpret, but never to the extent of making the works seem devoid of sense… For the first

time, an icon need not be dense with references to history, childhood and philosophical

concepts in order to enter into de Chirico’s lexicon, but can be the most common of objects

of the kind that offer themselves to our sensibilities in the course of quotidian events.11

Shortly, the artichokes indeed stand like random object which is actually a technique of de

Chirico and will put a great influence on a next generation painter, Rene Magritte.

Same effect can be observed through the following picture and “Transformed Dream” shown

before.

10

Paolo Baldacci. (1997). De Chirico, the Metaphysical Period (1888-1919). Italy: Bulfinch Press, p. 179 11

Paolo Baldacci. (1997). De Chirico, the Metaphysical Period (1888-1919). Italy: Bulfinch Press, p. 185


The Uncertainty of the Poet, 1913

It is apparent that the philosopher in the Conquest of the Philosopher is de Chirico, himself.

However, why is it called conquest? What is special about this title?

The following five works are chronologically listed:

The Melancholy of the Afternoon (November-December 1913)

The Transformed Dream (November-December 1913)

The Uncertainty of the Poet (November-December 1913)

The Philosopher’s Promenade (Early 1914)

The Conquest of the Philosopher (Early 1914)

The specific dates are found out by the art historians and as we see the Conquest of the

Philosopher was completed well before the war begins. Even though that does not certainly

show that the Conquest of the Philosopher is not involved in a theme on war, this fact

obviously decreases the chance of it. However, it should be noted that the statues of

politicians had taken a role since 1912 in de Chirico’s paintings and after 1914 de Chirico

starts to improve an interest in politics.

Ceren Burçak Dağ 040100531 Nevertheless, these five solitude of signs artworks look like expressing kind of a riddle that

de Chirico presents. He introduces his new technique in the first three and makes the viewer

feel familiar after a certain degree. The Philosopher’s Promenade plays a similar role with the

plaster face next to two metallic “transformed from a dream” artichokes. At last, de Chirico

conquers both the technique and the viewer. He uses his most sexual symbolization with the

erect cannon, the industrial chimney and other kinds of towers. He also gathers his all other

symbolizations such as the dualism, between life and death - movement and immobility etc.

If we recall, this symbol of dualism refers back to de Chirico’s past art understanding.

References to architecture and Nietzsche are also taken together. That is why last artwork is

the conquest of the philosopher.

The Conquest of the Philosopher

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