“**Sacred Fish**,” created by Giorgio de Chirico in 1919 in Rome, Italy, is an exemplary work of Metaphysical art rendered in oil on canvas. This still life painting encapsulates de Chirico’s distinctive artistic ethos characterized by enigmatic and thought-provoking imagery.
The artwork portrays two fish laid atop a rectangular, slightly tilted platform. The arrangement of objects presents stark, geometric shadows and a deliberate composition that evokes a mysteriously contemplative mood. To the left, a sculptural form resembling a candlestick casts long shadows, while a segmented, multi-colored object rests on the surface below. The background features austere, architectural shapes that contribute to the surreal and slightly disorienting atmosphere typical of the Metaphysical art movement. The careful interplay of light, shadow, and form draws the viewer into a scene that is at once hauntingly still and intensely introspective.
