The exhibition "Paul Delvaux. L'écho du rêve" (The echo of the dream) invites you on a free and personal journey through the astonishing pictorial universe of the famous Belgian master. Hosted at the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles in Paris from 19 May to 19 September.
The Woman, mystery, dreams, escape, solitude, theatricality ... All keys to a distinctive approach that will reveal the richness, density and poetic force of the work of Paul Delvaux. Through a multi-thematic approach, the exhibition invites you to discover or revisit the enigmatic and imaginary world of this artist with his Surrealist language.
With the exceptional loan of the private collection of Pierre and Nicole Ghêne, the exhibition is also an invitation to understand the personal vision and the touching quest of a passionate collector. It honours Paul Delvaux, this illustrious personality of Belgian art, too rarely exhibited in France. In fact, the last major exhibition in the capital dates back to 1991.
Paul Delvaux painted from the early 1920s until the 1990s. Influenced initially by the Impressionists and post-Expressionists, he gradually moved towards surrealism, though he never joined the movement for the sake of freedom. His work also veers towards the classic, in the footsteps of Ingres and Poussin, of whom he was a deep admirer. Early on, Delvaux depicted his favourite subject, naked and hieratic women in unusual urban places such as train stations or streets. His paintings and drawings often exude a mysterious, strange and eerie atmosphere, full of fantasy and poetry. Antiquity plays a big part, especially through the architectural settings, feminine drapery and the choice of subjects.
Commissioner and design: Claire Leblanc, Director of the Municipal Museum of Ixelles (Brussels). Exhibition organised by the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles in Paris in collaboration with the Municipal Museum of Ixelles (Brussels). With the kind participation of the Fondation Paul Delvaux -St. Idesbald / Belgium.
The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (127-129 rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris).
The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of lectures and projections by experts on the artist:
- Conference "Paul Delvaux. Aux sources de l’oeuvre" by Laura Neve on Tuesday, 24 May at 8 p.m.,
- Conference "L’oeil intérieur et ses pouvoirs" by Baldine Saint Girons, Monday, 6 June at 8 p.m.,
- Visit and conference Pierre Ghêne, through the eyes of the “Delvaux-mad” collector, Thursday, 15 September at 8 p.m.