Melancholies

Because it's that kind of day--gray, damp, and no amount of coffee seems able to jumpstart the imagination. . . .

Giorgio de Chirico, a Greek-Italian artist, produced some fairly disturbing images (he was a proto-surrealist). One of his "trademarks" was the insertion of classical figures into lonely, sterile landscapes (he loved deserted urban settings) . This 1912 piece is titled "Melancholy":





And just because I like it, here's "The Delights of the Poet," also from 1912: