Meloncholy

Meloncholy and Mystery of a Street

by Giorgio de Chirico

Shadows envelope the scene, as the silhouette of a little girl runs across an open street. Although it is unclear where she may be heading, her prancing figure seems joyful. Her hair and dress flip behind her as she cavorts, hand in hand with a hoop. A monumental dark building looms in front of her. Its structure is almost jail like, with its cement looking texture. The arches become progressively smaller but stay the same endless black. The dark shadow cast from the building creates a strong line cutting across in front of the girl. Enveloped in the shadow is a vacant wheeled trailer with its doors swung open. Its lightly hued doors and left flank stand out against the dark shadows. Adjacent, is the street, which is of a very similar hue to that of the illumined trailer. It stretches back past the shady building making it seem as though the light is overtaking the dark rather than the dark enclosing on the light. Across from the sinister edifice, another arched building stands, stretching as far back as the eye can see. This structure is a piercing white, yet has the same dark tones beneath the consecutively smaller arches. It seems more habitable than the latter building, with its bright tones and waving red flag.
The ominous shadow of a figure is cast in the center coming towards the little girl. Who is this person? Could it be the owner of the trailer, the father of the little girl, a kidnapper? One cannot know for certain, but the idea of an unknown figure makes the scene foreboding. The contrast from light to dark seems to be a common theme in the painting. Whether this hints to an underlying message or is simply a way to demonstrate contrast, it leaves the viewer pondering about the melancholy and mystery of a street.