Grise City 1943

Paul Delvaux painted "Grise City" sometime in the 20th century, using oil paint to craft a world both familiar and deeply strange. It's hard to pin down the process here, but I'd wager Delvaux built this world up slowly, layer by layer. There’s a sense of smoothness to the surfaces, almost like a dreamscape rendered in enamel. Look closely at the woman on the left, the way the light glances off the folds of her drapery. It’s an odd detail, that rippling cloth. It doesn't feel quite connected to the space around her, more like a phantom of classical sculpture. Then, there's the hard-edged architecture, so precise it’s almost airless. The whole painting feels suspended between clarity and obfuscation, like a half-remembered myth. Delvaux reminds me a little of de Chirico, but with a softer touch, maybe a bit more humanity. But, like all good art, this painting resists easy answers, leaving us instead with questions.