April 13th, 2024

Happy Saturday! The work week after a vacation is always the worst, right? NYC was amazing but I’m feeling motivated to get back into my normal routines and inspired to start creating art again.

Speaking of inspiration, my wife and I spent a few hours at The Met and it wasn’t nearly enough time for that monstrosity of a museum. We both came away saying that our next visit would be a full day experience to take in as much as possible. We barely scratched the surface of the Middle Ages wing, and spent a lot of time in the tranquil Asian Art wing. It really renewed my love for ancient Japanese art and seeing those pieces in real life was amazing. I definitely plan to explore more Japanese artists in this newsletter in the coming weeks.

This week we’re going to take a look at a unique Surrealist artist from Belgium.

Artist Spotlight - Paul Delvaux (1897- 1994)

Career

Paul Delvaux was born on September 23, 1897, in Wanze, in the Belgian province of Liège. His father was a lawyer, which provided the family a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. As a child, Delvaux was exposed to the arts, but his interest in the academic study of art was discouraged by his parents, particularly by his mother. Despite this, he began his education in painting in 1916 at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

In the beginning, Delvaux was heavily influenced by the expressionist painters such as James Ensor. He experimented with a variety of styles, including Post-Impressionism and the more avant-garde approaches that were gaining popularity in Europe at the time. His early work often depicted typical Belgian landscapes and scenes with a somber and realistic touch.

Delvaux's career took a significant turn in the 1930s when he visited the Paris International Exposition and encountered the works of the Italian metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico. He was also influenced by the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. His style shifted to a more dreamlike, Surrealist approach, combining classical, architectural, and figure elements with a sense of mystery and eerie stillness.

This period saw Delvaux developing his signature themes: the nude female figures, often depicted in a trance-like state, against the backdrop of classical architecture or railway stations, creating an otherworldly ambiance. His work from this time, such as "The Echo" (1936), began to feature these recurring motifs. His paintings were thematically complex, often exploring the subconscious, sexuality, and the conflict between the inner world of dreams and the outer world of reality.

As Delvaux's style matured, he continued to develop the themes and techniques established in his mid-career. During the 1950s and 1960s, his work maintained a consistent focus on the same motifs, although he began to experiment with perspective and to dive deeper into the human psyche. His work became more reflective and subdued.

Into the 1970s and 1980s, Delvaux's work did not change drastically, which was somewhat at odds with the rapidly evolving contemporary art world. He remained faithful to his vision, creating paintings that were narrative, evocative, and remained within the classical tradition in terms of technique and composition.

Despite his association with Surrealism, Delvaux never officially joined the Surrealist group, preferring to maintain his artistic independence.

Contributions to the Art World

Delvaux is well-known for blending elements of Surrealism with classical figures and architectural forms, creating a distinctly fusion style. This unique approach set his work apart from other Surrealists, who often favored more abstract or fantastical imagery. His paintings often feature nude or clothed female figures in classical, mythological, or urban settings, creating an enigmatic narrative that invites viewers into a serene yet perplexing world.

His technical proficiency and the clarity of his work provided a counterpoint to the more spontaneous or chaotic compositions of some Surrealist contemporaries. His precise and deliberate brushwork, and the use of light to create depth, lend his paintings a hyperreal quality that further accentuates their dreamlike nature.

Throughout his career, Delvaux maintained a consistent focus on his unique combination of motifs and themes, regardless of changing art trends. His commitment to his vision has been recognized as a significant contribution in itself, demonstrating the power of personal expression in art.

His paintings have prompted considerable academic interest, with scholars examining the psychological, mythical, and metaphysical dimensions of his work. This has contributed to a broader understanding of the role of figurative art in the Surrealist movement.

Style

Delvaux’s style is immediately recognizable for its dreamlike quality, often featuring somnambulant women in various states of undress, classical architecture, and trains or trams—all bathed in a clear, uncanny light that creates deep shadows and a sense of stillness. His compositions often incorporate elements of the fantastical, such as skeletons and mythical creatures, set against realistic backdrops that give his paintings a surreal juxtaposition between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Delvaux primarily worked with oil paints, which allowed him to achieve a high degree of detail and a rich palette of colors. Oil paint's slow drying time gave him the flexibility to work and rework his images, creating the meticulous detail and polished finish that his paintings are known for. He often employed the technique of chiaroscuro, using strong contrasts between light and dark to give a sense of volume and to add a dramatic, theatrical quality to his paintings. This also helped to heighten the emotional impact and to focus the viewer’s attention on specific elements within the composition.

Delvaux was skilled in using perspective to create depth in his works. He often depicted architectural elements such as colonnades, arcades, and buildings in receding space, which helped to draw the viewer’s eye into the painting. He often featured a striking juxtaposition of elements, such as the ancient and the modern, the animate and the inanimate, or the clothed and the nude. This created a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere that is disconcerting yet compelling.

He would often repeat certain themes and motifs throughout his career, refining and exploring them in different contexts. This repetition allowed him to delve deeply into certain symbolic elements, creating a coherent body of work that invites viewers to explore recurring dreams and narratives. He was also known to include himself as a character in his paintings, often as a bystander observing the scene.

Influences and Lessons

Giorgio de Chirico, the Italian metaphysical painter, had a profound impact on Delvaux. De Chirico's eerie, desolate landscapes and cityscapes, characterized by long shadows and classical architecture, directly influenced Delvaux's style and choice of subjects. Another influential figure was his fellow Belgian Surrealist René Magritte. Magritte's work, which often played with reality and perception, encouraged Delvaux to explore similar themes in his own paintings.

Delvaux had a lifelong fascination with trains, stations, and classical architecture, which he incorporated into his art. Artists often produce their most compelling work when they are passionate about their subject matter. He remained faithful to certain themes throughout his career, but his approach to these subjects evolved over time. This balance between consistency and evolution is a valuable approach to developing as an artist.

Style Representation

Collectors Corner - GanWeaving

Final Thoughts

To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings about the NYC NFT conference. First of all, attendance seemed pretty low. Opening day was pretty quiet, with not much energy. When I reviewed the schedule of speakers, I was a bit shocked to see how many were focused on commercializing and brand building instead of more art focused. And with most sessions only being 10-20 minutes long it didn’t seem like much value could be shared in such a short amount of time.

The bright spot was the artist “village” (really just a wall of screens where you could use an iPad to direct your art to one of the screens for a photo) which was buzzing with activity as artists waited for the chance to view their winning pieces.

But I have to say the highlight was definitely the MAIF panel on Wednesday at the Canvas 3.0 in the Oculus building. We were able to catch 4 of the panels featuring legends like Schmrypto, EmpressTrash, Kika Nicolela, Adam Berninger, DeltaSauce and others. The gathering was intimate and the talks were serious with plenty of laughs in the mix too, discussing what makes art stand out to collectors and how one can diversify their artistic career to weather bear markets. Kudos to ClownVamp for putting on an incredible day of panels and a really fun afterparty. I feel like the real value at the conference was found outside of the convention center.

Overall, the wife and I had an absolutely amazing vacation in the city, staying an extra 3 days after the conference to really explore and soak in the Big Apple. There was torrential rain, late night subway rides, drinks and tacos seated 23 stories up looking right at the Empire State building, a first Michelin star dining experience, and an enchanting dinner cruise around the city after sunset. We can’t wait to go back 😊 

As always, if you enjoyed this edition I would really appreciate if you shared it. Just hit the share button below. And if you’re not following me on X yet, I’d love to follow you back. I’m also on Warpcast!

On that note, I’ll leave you with a quote encapsulating how I felt walking the streets of NYC:

Enjoy your weekend, friend!

P.S. If you have feedback I’d love to hear it! A reply to this email goes directly to me.

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