No Camouflage for Cardinals: Paul Delvaux Museum

This weekend I visited the Paul Delvaux museum in St Idesbald. Paul Delvaux was one of the 20th century's Belgian surrealists (though Delvaux did not consider himself to be of this ilk). The subject matter of most of his paintings tends to be repetitive: Nude or almost nude statuesque females in suspended animation, classical architecture, skeletons and trains. Like Magritte’s regular inclusion of Montgolfiers in his painting, Delvaux’s most repeated figures are relics from his childhood, for example Professor Otto Lindenbrock from “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne. As a scientist the Professor is seen studying a geological specimen with his microscope. He always feels removed, even transposed, from the scene around (often infused with sexual nude portraits). The scientists is seeminlgy demasculated, his separation from the romantic centre of events evident literally from his position in the corner of each painting and his precocupation with his study instead of the material world.

The museum is curated by close personal friends of Delvaux and as such boasts an array of initimate artifacts of the man’s life and work. My personal favourites were the doll in a lace dress and skeletons which Delvaux used as models for his paintings.

An homage to Jules Verne with Otto Lindenbeck in corner

Scientists distinctly separate from the sexual scene in the right hand panel

From Delvau's series on the life of Christ- the emotion apparent on each skeletons face is breathtaking

Painting showing Delvaux's use of the skelton not neccessarily to portrait death but a more raw and stripped(of flesh) version of reality

The museum is in the leafy suburbs of St Idesbald and can easily be overlooked if not equipped with proper directions. For myself there was added difficulty due to maintenance on the train service that day. I would definitely recommend visiting the museum… if you can find it, that is.