Private Collection, Europe (acquired from the artist)
Private Collection, Ravenna (by descent from the above)
Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Acquired from the above

Claudia Bruni Sakraischik, Giorgio De Chirico, catalogo generale, vol. VII, Milan, 1983, no. III, n. 1078

This painting is in beautiful condition. It has never been cleaned. The canvas is unlined, is still on its original stretcher and shows no surface inconsistencies. There is very slight frame abrasion or scraping in the upper right, lower right and center left edges, as well as a thin diagonal mark in the lower right sky, which are un-retouched. There have been no retouches to the picture and the painting is clearly in lovely condition. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The mythological figures of Ettore and Andromaca taken from Homer’s Iliad are recurrent throughout De Chirico’s oeuvre. The subject marries several of the artist’s favored themes, including mannequins, classical heroes and metaphysical meanings. In the present work, two mannequins are superimposed, creating a harmonious and quasi-symmetrical fusion of forms placed in an isolated Classical setting.

Such figures juxtapose the robotic and the mechanic with the transience of the human, lending an almost uncanny feel to the painting. De Chirico’s use of mannequins was “originally inspired by a play written by de Chirico’s brother in which the protagonist is a ‘man without voice, without eyes or face.' De Chirico himself confirmed this when he wrote: ‘the idea of these large heads shaped like an egg, which one also sees in my standing mannequins of the metaphysical type, came to me from seeing the maquettes designed by my brother who used the pseudonym Alberto Savinio” (Elizabeth Cowling and Jennifer Mundy, On Classical Ground (exhibition catalogue), London, 1990, pp. 81-82). The figure of the mannequin, popularized through De Chirico and the Metaphysical painters, was part of a motif which sought a return to the grandeur of Classical Italian art, one which attempted to reveal the enigma of life and reality with deep emotions. Ettore e Andromaca are frozen in their stance, yet the viewer unfolds the drama and tragedy of their destiny as Hector is depicted bidding farewell to his beloved Andromache to fight in the Trojan War. De Chirico contrasts the coldness and immobility of the scene with the inevitable fate of the lovers imagined by the viewers.