Family Portraits - A Comparison: de Chirico and Grigoletti

Left: Self Portrait with Mother by Giorgio de Chirico Right: Portrait of Parents by Michelangelo Grigoletti

Portrait of parents by Michelangelo Grigoletti, a painter from the Friuli-Giulia area of Italy, was done in 1829. Self portrait with mother by Giorgio de Chirico carries the date of 1921. One hundred years apart, yet these two works, in addition to being two of the most outstanding family portraits I have ever seen, are worthy of further study. 

In both canvases the sitters are facing each other, but the gazes do not meet. De Chirico’s mother looks beyond her son, while de Chirico looks at the viewer. Grigoletti’s father is captivated by his son the painter, while the mother is distracted and looks away.

It is obvious that in both portraits, the mother is the dominant character. De Chirico positions his mother in the foreground and he positions himself in the background. He does not have the authority that his mother sports, in fact, he seems withdrawn. While Grigoletti’s father seems content, it will require more to satisfy the mother. There is a shadow that goes from the mother to the father, further indicating the mother’s dominance in the couple.

There are no distractions in the Grigoletti’s portrait of his parents. They are set against a neutral gray background and the somberness of the color scheme is lightened by the mother wearing a red shawl over her head and shoulders. Further proof, in my analysis, that she was the center of the family. In de Chirico’s painting, the figures are set in an open space, with a blue sky (with some clouds) in the background. The mother is surrounded by a pink flower rising behind her and another red one by her arms. Behind de Chirico, we notice a few green leaves. On the bottom right side of the composition, two figs are found. One fig points toward de Chirico and the other points to the mother. Figs could represent prosperity and abundance. Another interpretation is that these figs reflect de Chirico’s fertile artistic mind.

Despite the complexity of family relationships, it is the artists themselves that stand out in these works. De Chirico looks at the viewer with a clear message. I am the one with artistic talent. Same thing with the Grigoletti’s portrait of his parents. The father looks at his son, the painter and in that gaze, the artist enters the canvas and asserts his prominence.