Portrait of Isa with black dress - Giorgio de Chirico

A 1935 portrait of the artist's wife, Isabella Far, rendered in a classical style with a focus on form and light.

This 1935 portrait by Giorgio de Chirico depicts his second wife, Isabella Far, known as Isa. While de Chirico is primarily recognised for his metaphysical cityscapes and dreamlike architectural compositions, his later career involved a return to more traditional modes of painting. This work demonstrates his technical proficiency with oil paint, focusing on the sitter's presence and the textures of her surroundings. Isa is shown seated in a wooden chair, her posture relaxed yet composed. She wears a simple black dress, which provides a stark contrast to the muted, earthy tones of the background and the draped fabric. De Chirico employs a deliberate use of colour to guide the eye, particularly through the inclusion of a bright red curtain on the left side of the frame. This vertical element balances the composition, preventing the darker tones of the dress from dominating the visual field. The artist pays close attention to the play of light across the sitter's face and hands. The brushwork is controlled, reflecting a shift away from the radical experimentation of his earlier metaphysical period toward a more classical aesthetic. The inclusion of a ring on her finger and the subtle folds in the fabric draped over the chair arm add a sense of domestic realism to the scene. The background remains relatively indistinct, ensuring that the focus stays entirely on the subject. This portrait offers a glimpse into the personal life of the artist during the mid-1930s, capturing a moment of quiet domesticity through a lens of formal portraiture. The work is signed and dated by the artist on the right side, confirming its place within his extensive body of work from this decade.