80 Óscar Domínguez (Spanish, 1906-1957) after Giorgio De Chirico (Italian/Greek, 1888-1978) Metaphysical interior with signature and date ‘G. de Chirico/1917’ (lower right); with annotation ‘Questo quadro/è autentico/G. de Chirico’ (on the reverse); with indistinct annotation and date ‘1961’ (on the reverse) oil on canvas, 73x53,5 cm
‘Metaphysical Interior’ belongs to a controversial and interesting chapter of post-war art history. In 1946, Galerie Allard in Paris exhibited 28 paintings of Giorgio De Chirico, or so they thought. It turned out that 20 of these paintings were later identified as ‘metaphysical imitations’ executed by Óscar Domínguez. He had executed the paintings in the style of De Chirico and signed them with forged signatures and dates. These paintings circulated widely, challenging contemporary notions of authenticity and authorship, and drew sharp criticism from De Chirico and others who saw them as forgeries or deliberate stylistic provocations. The incident at the Paris gallery sheds light on the complex art market of the mid-20th century, when shifting tastes and the high demand for metaphysical works created fertile ground for imitation, debate, and controversy. Whatever one’s interpretation— whether as forgery, homage, or deliberate imitation—Domínguez’s ‘Metaphysical Interior’ clearly demonstrates how he absorbed De Chirico’s metaphysical style. Born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, and active in Paris from the late 1920s, Domínguez quickly became a vibrant presence in Surrealist circles. He experimented with automatist techniques such as decalcomania (a method he helped popularise among his peers) and exhibited alongside figures like writer André Breton (1896-1966) and artist Max Ernst (1891-1976). His diverse oeuvre contains poetic Surrealist imagery alongside more enigmatic compositions influenced by metaphysical art and other avant-garde movements of his time. In the present work, Domínguez depicts the precise, enigmatic style of De Chirico, constructing a dreamlike space filled with architectural fragments and objects. The painting demonstrates Domínguez’s mastery in translating metaphysical motifs into his Surrealist style, where stillness and mystery coexist with a subtle psychological tension.
€30,000 - €50,000
Exhibited: -Paris, Galerie Allard, ‘G. de Chirico’, June 1946 (where the vast majority of the 28 exhibited paintings were fakes, forged by Óscar Domínguez). -Haarlem, Frans Halsmuseum, no. 47, as: ‘Giorgio De Chirico (Italian/Greek, 1888-1978)’ (label attached to the stretcher).
Literature: -Fabio Benzi, Maurizio Calvesi, Paolo Picozza,
Giorgio de Chirico and Claudio Strinati, ‘Giorgio de Chirico, Catalogo generale’, Maggio 2014, Vol. 2/2025, ill. p. 469, no. 19, as: ‘Fake paintings by surrealist Oscar Dominguez’. Provenance: -Possibly collection Paul Guillaume, Paris (1891-1934) (according to the description in the auction catalogue of 1959). -Auction, Gallery Giroux, Brussels, 14 November 1959, lot 72, as: ‘Giorgio De Chirico (Italian/Greek, 1888- 1978)’ (for 160,000 Bfr.). -With Galerie d’Eendt, Amsterdam, exhibited at the summer exhibition, 1 July-7 September 1966, as: ‘Giorgio De Chirico (Italian/Greek, 1888-1978)’. -Collection Ms M. Penders, Amsterdam, as: ‘Giorgio De Chirico (Italian/Greek, 1888-1978)’. -Collection Mr B. Meijer, Wassenaar, inv. no. 129, as: ‘Giorgio De Chirico (Italian/Greek, 1888-1978)’ (label attached to the stretcher). The Association of Specialists and Heirs in Defense of the Work of Óscar Domínguez attest to the authenticity of this present work of Óscar Domínguez, ‘Methaphysical interior’ (1917) [ca. 1945], and is described and reproduced in an accompanying certificate, with registration number OD2026-001, issued on 29 March 2026, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
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