Giorgio de Chirico’s (1888-1978) enigmatic, haunting paintings of deserted city squares, shadows, sleeping statues exerted an important influence on modern art. His Metaphysical works began around 1912 with a series of eight paintings of the Greek myth of Ariadne. In these works the artist depicted a reclining statue of princess Ariadne in an empty Piazza. According to classical legend, Ariadne, daughter of Pasiphae and the Cretan king Minos, fell in love with Theseus, the Athenian hero. By giving him a length of silk thread she helped him to escape the labyrinth in which the man-eating Minotaur lived. Theseus promised to marry Ariadne during their journey to Athens but instead he betrayed her, abandoning her on the deserted island of Naxos. She was later rescued by the god Dionysus