Pittura metafisica ("Metaphysical Painting") refers to an Italian movement in painting that developed from around 1910 out of a rejection of Futurism and Cubism and lasted until the mid-1920s. Characteristic of metaphysical paintings is the stylistic return to the traditional painting style, as well as a dramatic setting, through which the artists of the movement attempted to show the higher reality beyond things. The motifs often show the staging of ancient architecture in deserted places in combination with unexpected objects or doll-like sculptures, which can trigger an alienating feeling in the viewer through exaggerated perspective, colourfulness or incongruous lighting conditions.
