Small square station 1963

Paul Delvaux painted Small square station in oil on canvas, during a time of great social change and the rise of psychoanalysis. Here, the artist imagines a stage-like setting in a European town square. Note the women who appear to be slumbering or sleepwalking. They are draped in classical robes, while others are dressed in more contemporary attire. The women stand in contrast to the suited men. Delvaux seems to be asking us what role women play in modernity. The setting is imbued with a sense of alienation and uncertainty. The train station, a place of transit and connection, becomes a backdrop for disconnected encounters. Delvaux once said, "My painting is a window open on another world." This world mixes dreams and reality, and evokes the disquieting experience of modern life.