In 1912 Morandi taught himself to etch using old manuals, and printmaking came to occupy an important place within his practice. He exhibited with the Futurists in 1914, but was never influenced by their aesthetics or interested in their cultural agenda. The Metaphysical iconography of Giorgio de Chirico inspired him to create a small number of enigmatic still lifes starting with this, his very first print.
Morandi quickly mastered the etching technique, coming to consider it an important vehicle for artistic expression, and going on to hold the Chair in Printmaking at Bologna’s Accademia di Belle Arti for over twenty years. Although restricted in terms of subject matter, his work shows great stylistic versatility and experimentation through different formats and incorporation of a wide range of mark-making processes. Like Lucian Freud, a generation later, you recognize an etched line and image of Morandi's when you see it.