The Focus Tombs 1957

Paul Delvaux made this painting, The Focus Tombs, using oil on canvas. The subdued color palette creates a mysterious atmosphere that is characteristic of his work. Delvaux embraced the idea of artmaking as a process of exploration. In The Focus Tombs, Delvaux's delicate brushstrokes and layering of translucent glazes create a smooth surface. The figures are rendered with a ghostly quality, as if they are fading into the background. But it is the emotional resonance of this piece that lingers in the mind. Note how the skeleton draped in a red cloth seems to cradle the other skeleton, maybe for comfort, maybe for warmth. Delvaux was a contemporary of Magritte and is considered one of the most important figures in Belgian Surrealism. I wonder what he would have made of someone like Philip Guston. I think the image revels in the idea of ambiguity and how the artist invites us to confront our own mortality.