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Lot Essay
'The way Delvaux problematized history painting by surrealizing is probably his most characteristic contribution to 20th century art', writes David Scott in his book Paul Delvaux, Surrealizing the Nude (London 1992, p. 12). The present watercolour displays Delvaux's early experiments in 'surrealizing the nude', by imbuing a classical subject with anxiety, mystery and poetry. Delvaux's obsession with the allure and yet the threat of the female nude, omnipresent throughout his oeuvre, derives from his childhood, traumatized by his mother's repression of his sexual and emotional life.
Having first studied architecture at the Académie des Beaux Arts in Brussels with Joseph Van Neck, Delvaux always places his nude in an architectural setting. He was fascinated with the contrast between vertical and horizontal lines, as evident in the present lot. Delvaux opposes the reclining nude against a background structured with the verticals from the curtain and the window, invites the viewer to be mesmerized by the figure.
Delvaux was much inspired by Puvis de Chavannes' neo-classicism and academic tradition of painting, as well as Giorgio de Chirico's Pittura Metafisica works, defined by juxtapositions of incongruous elements and exaggerated pictorial depth. Yet Jeune femme devant son miroir, dating from the end of Delvaux's apprenticeship, clearly reflects the theme of 'looking', as praised by his francophone Belgian contemporary René Magritte. The mirror, the view from the window and the nude's provoking gaze create an atmosphere of anxiety and uneasiness for the viewer, marking the beginning of Delvaux's aim of 'surrealizing the nude'.
Having first studied architecture at the Académie des Beaux Arts in Brussels with Joseph Van Neck, Delvaux always places his nude in an architectural setting. He was fascinated with the contrast between vertical and horizontal lines, as evident in the present lot. Delvaux opposes the reclining nude against a background structured with the verticals from the curtain and the window, invites the viewer to be mesmerized by the figure.
Delvaux was much inspired by Puvis de Chavannes' neo-classicism and academic tradition of painting, as well as Giorgio de Chirico's Pittura Metafisica works, defined by juxtapositions of incongruous elements and exaggerated pictorial depth. Yet Jeune femme devant son miroir, dating from the end of Delvaux's apprenticeship, clearly reflects the theme of 'looking', as praised by his francophone Belgian contemporary René Magritte. The mirror, the view from the window and the nude's provoking gaze create an atmosphere of anxiety and uneasiness for the viewer, marking the beginning of Delvaux's aim of 'surrealizing the nude'.