Phases of the Moon 1939

"Phases of the Moon," a 1939 work by Belgian Surrealist painter Paul Delvaux, features a dreamlike scene that juxtaposes the mundane with the bizarre. The painting is a hallmark of Delvaux's signature style, which often depicts solitary figures in dreamlike landscapes. Here, two men in suits stand before a group of nude women and a young man walking through a field, while a woman reclines on a balcony, seemingly oblivious to the strange scene unfolding before her. The crescent moon in the sky adds to the otherworldly atmosphere of the painting, echoing the themes of isolation and eroticism that Delvaux explored throughout his career.