Explore the Subject matter of this artwork.
The piece depicts an empty city square, a recurring motif in works by Chirico. It also features a locomotive in the background, another recurring motif also found in Le Rêve Transformé and Gare Montparnasse (The Melancholy of Departure).
The statue at the center of the painting is meant to represent Ariadne, who was the daughter of Minos, King of Crete. She assisted Theseus in his escape from the Labyrinth, but he later abandoned her on the island of Naxos. Like the locomotive and empty square, Ariadne appears in other paintings by Chirico.
Gare Montparnasse (The Melancholy of Departure) Naxos The Melancholy of Departure Theseus Labyrinth Le Rêve Transformé Ariadne