L'orage

Executed in late July 1962, L’orage is a rich example of Paul Delvaux’s exquisitely rendered works on paper, combining the intriguing play of materiality and structure of space to create a zig-zagging path through the scene, leading the eye through a sequence of distinct, different layers. In the foreground, a semi-nude woman is seated on a stool, her figure partially wrapped in a vivid red robe as she contemplates a delicate scarlet flower, drawing it close to her eye. To the left, and positioned a step back, a pair of lithe young women appear to embrace beneath a tree, one figure tucked into the body of her companion, as if seeking shelter or comfort. As the eye makes its way back towards the centre of the composition, a fourth figure becomes visible at the edge of a small patio, her back turned to the viewer as she contemplates the rolling vista beyond the small wooden building. A bold streak of lightning splits through the dark stormy clouds above, lending a note of drama and danger to the scene and indicating the arrival of the titular storm. Reminiscent of Giorgione’s La Tempesta (1506-1508), the bright flash of lighting implies that the women’s peace will soon be disrupted by the accompanying thunder. Realised in a richly-worked mixture of gouache, watercolour, India ink and pencil, this intriguing, somewhat elusive scene would appear in an oil painting of the same title completed later that summer, suggesting the present picture formed part of Delvaux’s preparatory process for the large canvas. There are a series of subtle adjustments and differences between the two, the most notable being in the depiction of the two women embracing – while in the painting they are cast in flowing white virginal robes reminiscent of classical art, in the present work, Delvaux dresses the pair in nothing but sensual black stockings, giving them a striking contemporary air.