On the Outskirts of a Town 1941

Giorgio Morandi made this painting, On the Outskirts of a Town, with oil on canvas. He lived through both World Wars in Italy, during a time of intense political and social change. In this painting, the buildings feel like silent witnesses, stoic and enduring. Morandi reduces the landscape to its essence, simplifying the forms of houses, and muting the colors. This reflects an identity rooted in a sense of place and continuity. The painting evokes a feeling of being on the edge of things, both physically and emotionally. The outskirts often represent a space of transition, where rural meets urban, tradition encounters modernity. Morandi's work resists the bold statements of some of his contemporaries, choosing instead a path of quiet contemplation. "I believe that nothing can be more abstract, more unreal, than what we actually see," he once said. Through the canvas, Morandi encourages us to find beauty and meaning in the overlooked, inviting a personal reflection on the spaces we inhabit and the histories they hold.