NEW YORK, NY.- The Center for Italian Modern Art is presenting a major installation of Giorgio Morandi’s (1890–1964) rarely seen paintings from the 1930s—a seminal and yet relatively unexplored decade for the acclaimed Italian modernist during which he reached full artistic maturity and developed his distinct pictorial language. Featuring nearly 40 paintings, etchings, and drawings, the presentation marks the first time in decades that the majority of these works—gathered from important public and private holdings across Europe—are on view in the U.S. The installation also includes select works from the very beginning and end of the artist’s career, in the 1910s and 1960s respectively, to demonstrate the thematic continuities in his practice.

On view through June 25, 2016, Giorgio Morandi is the third presentation mounted by the nonprofit, which promotes public appreciation and new scholarship of Italian 20th-century art through its annual installations and research fellowships. In conjunction with the installation, CIMA presents work by four contemporary artists—Tacita Dean, Wolfgang Laib, Joel Meyerowitz, and Matthias Schaller—relating to Morandi’s practice thematically or conceptually. CIMA will also host a full roster of public programs, including lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other special events relating to the exhibition, throughout the year.

“While Morandi is one of the more well-known Italian modern artists internationally, there’s been very little attention paid to his work during the critical decade of the 1930s. It was during these years, when Morandi experimented with dark colors and thick, dramatic brushstrokes, that he truly discovered his most persona; approach to painting, focusing on landscapes and still life objects and emphasizing the material over the representational characteristics of painting,” said CIMA Founder and President Laura Mattioli. “The period of the 1930s was vital to Morandi’s development, but the artist produced comparatively far fewer works during this decade than at the end of his career; this makes our show a unique chance for our visitors to explore these seminal works and gain new insight into Morandi’s creative development and artistic approach.”

Added Executive Director Heather Ewing, “We’re very excited to be presenting a new perspective on this celebrated Italian artist for our third season at CIMA. Our installations are unique because they act as a springboard for careful and extended re-examinations of modern Italian art, and, as with our previous installations of works by Fortunato Depero and Medardo Rosso, we look forward to the new discoveries and scholarship that the Morandi installation and the dedicated work of our fellows will generate.”