1888-1978. Italian painter born in Greece,
whose style presaged Surrealism in its use of
enigmatic imagery and dreamlike settings, for
example, Nostalgia of the Infinite 1911,
Museum of Modern Art, New York. In 1917, with
Carlo Carra (1881-1966), he founded
Metaphysical painting, which aimed to convey
a sense of mystery and hallucination. This
was achieved by distorted perspective,
dramatic lighting, and the use of dummies and
statues in place of human figures.