Paul Delvauxs Paintings - Essay Example

Paul Delvaux’s Paintings Paul Delvaux’s Paintings Paul Delvaux was one of the most famous surrealist Belgian painters of the twentieth century (Carels & Deun, 2004). He was born in 1987, in the town of Antheit, within the province of Liege in Belgium. He quickly distinguished himself as an aspiring musician and took his music classes avidly. Like many aspiring artists, Delvaux entry into the world of art was met with determined criticism from his parents, who wished him to pursue a separate career (Carels & Deun, 2004). It was partly due to this parental pressure that the young man occasionally ventured into other subjects but remained a good reader all the while. The books and subjects he read would later influence the kind of art he chose at an early age. Jule Verne’s fictional writings and Homer were his favorite publications at that young age (Carels & Deun, 2004). His parent’s opposition to an artistic career saw him study architecture at an academy in Brussels. At a much older age, he changed his academic course and switched to art under the tutelage of Constant Montald and another artist; Jean Delville (Carels & Deun, 2004). During the inaugural years of his artistic career, the young artist concentrated largely on naturalistic art. His penchant at the time was painting of landscapes as he saw them within his geographical surroundings. Later on, his art would change from pure surrealism to pick up aspects of expressionists after he encountered the influences of Constant Permeke and another artist by the name Gustave De Smet (Carels & Deun, 2004). These two artists introduced him into the art of surrealism. An artistic encounter with the figure of Venus would later offer him a new motif that dominated his art for much of his later artistic career. From these influences, he developed a strong taste of nudist art. The artist is well known for his remarkable capacity for juxtaposition. In his art, the most ordinary of things would be rendered in peculiarly different forms. The capacity to engage the aspects of naturalism, surrealism, metaphysics, and expressionism brought him out as one of the most accomplished artists of his time. His art continue to influence critical reviews and appraisals in Belgium especially, and much of Europe and America generally. One of Delvaux’s most famous paintings is “The Great Sirens.” It is generally considered as the best landmark of his nudist art as compared to others. “The Great Sirens” also shows the most telling effects of the influences Delvaux received from Rene Magritte and Giorgio de Chirico. Magritte infused into the artistic substance of Delvaux the elements of surrealism. This influence elevated the Belgian’s art to some higher representations that captured multiple influences in ways that appeared to operate above the normal expectations. On the other hand, deChirico’s art influenced Delvaux into the representations of metaphysical and proto-surrealistic paintings. The art of incongruous juxtaposition that expresses itself in the art of Delvaux borrows heavily from the art of Magritte. In the “The Great Sirens,” these influences are evident from the dramatic way in which the pictures are rendered and in the juxtaposition that follows. It is appropriate to determine some of the influences that contribute to the artistic shock that presents them in this painting. The women are brought about as erotic, shameless, and threatening to the male ego and power (Delvaux, 1947). They are no longer presented as weak and conquered, as they are ready to use their feminine qualities and physique to conquer the domineering power of the men in the society in which they leave. By presenting these pictures as uniquely feminine, the painter brings out the fact that he is an essential feminist. He goes against the dominant tradition where patriarchal artists seek to use the physical attributes of women to display their power. In a way, therefore “The Great Sirens” might be interpreted as an allegory of feminine redemption, conquest, and triumph. “The Village of the Mermaids” is one of the most notable oil canvas paintings that evoke the unique abilities of the artist. The mermaids are depicted in extreme serenity dressed in ways that capture some sense of piety while also representing some element of the unreal. There a sense of supernatural feeling evoked by their posture and silence (Delvaux, 1942). Their village is mute and appears independent of any external influences. In some manner, it might appear that the artist sought to capture and elevate the aspect of female piety as they are portrayed in his own imagination. He might have wanted to use he mermaids as some kind of symbols to express his views and opinions on the aspect of feminism (Delvaux, 1942). The Village of the Mermaids, in a very strong sense captures some strong aspects of the feminine mystique and projects a completely different perspective of women as brought out in the painter’s imagination. This picture compares with the “The Great Sirens” in the sense that it captures the celebration of the feminine spirit in a world that is exempted of all men character. As an allegory of freedom, this picture makes the point that women freedom and beauty are not to be exploited by men. Beauty should not be considered as a biological adaptation for male attraction as shown in this particular nude picture. “A Siren in Full Moonlight,” is another painting that reflects on the nudist and surrealistic art of the painter. This picture shows a mermaid admiring her own body within a magnificent ancient architectural setting reminiscent of Roman art (Delvaux, 1949). The architecture itself has been stretched slightly out of form in order to give force to the artistic free reign as represented within the aspect of surrealism. The style and form of the painting is uniquely the kind that informed the tradition of the Belgian painter (Delvaux, 49). This painting compares quite closely with “The Great Sirens” in the manner in which the mermaid in the foreground does not seem to mind her own nudity. She appears to celebrate the power of her beauty as captured in her own body. She does so with free abandon without regard to the usual shame that would ordinarily attach to such issues. In this particular portrait, the painter brings out the element of feminine power by using a mermaid. One would expect a mermaid to be found in the sea and not on terrestrial land. This demonstrates the capacity of the painter to stretch issues beyond the usual bounds as set up in the usual conventional boundaries. Another famous painting, “The Strollers” shows a figure lying on the left in the background of the picture. This picture could very well resemble De Chirico’s recumbent female statues. The most notable statues for these are “The Soothsayer’s Recompense,” “The Silent Satue,” and “Adriane.” There is also the picture of the female statue, which appears to be a common distinguishing feature that suggests the strong influence and connection that unite the two characters (Delvaux, 1943). These pictures equally seem to capture the mystique of womanhood as celebrated in the painters’ art. It is within this dimension that the two characters appear to offer the most impressive and suggestive clues of their common heritage in terms of artistic talent. The painting for the “Woman in front of the Sea,” the painter brings out multiple aspects of his talent, which essentially capture the continuity and consistency of his surrealism and nudism in art (Delvaux, 1943). Looking at the female couple in the foreground, one is reminded of the painting, “Gabrielle D’ Estrees and Her Sister,” and “Duchess of Villars,” these pictures are rendered in ways that reify the erotic nature of the sisters in some ways that are extremely titillated. Notably, these paintings show the artist as celebrating some aspect of a mixture of influences that engaged his concern from childhood to the time of artistic maturity. During his inaugural entry in the world of art, the artist was a naturalist. His primary influences were predominantly natural. After his influences into surrealism, nudism, and expressionism, the artist undertook to infuse his diverse influences to bring into even a more complex and interesting form of art. The choice of mermaids was not only surrealistic and absurd but, more directly, an attempt to represent women in a different light. It was an attempt to capture the women in terms of the many issues and desires that they faced at the time of his painting. Art does not grow in a vacuum, it is founded in real issues, and it is upon the artist to choose the kind of tool that can accurately and creatively represent this art (Temkin, 2010). As a result, it makes important sense to consider the nudist art in terms of the artist’s bold attempt to reinvent the conventions of gender. It is within this dimension that it becomes necessary to investigate the precise extent to which the author went in reinventing the conventions of women as they were represented in Europe. It might be important to examine the value of the mermaid in the paintings. A precise understanding of Delvaux’s art must be understood within the general idea of art as an expression of an individual’s perception of reality. In the case of Delvaux, this reality must be understood within the larger picture of Belgium social and cultural reality. It is within this understanding that artists have sought to express their feelings. According to Delvaux, his ideas emanate from the desire to fulfill the mixed influencedsof his life experiences. Delvaux is known for exploiting his own personal life to the fulfillment of his artistic mission. In many cases, he compares his own art to the paintings of other artists who sought identity through the creation of artistic space within the conception of social reality. Art is an expression of reality. It captures the artist’s impression on the world, as it exists in multiple perspectives. Expressionist art in the Belgium is one of the most forceful genres of art, which mixes influences of the diversity of Europe’s cultural life (Cheney, 2008). Delvaux brought onto the Belgium world of art a way of expressing feelings that was uniquely representative of the multifarious aspect of the Belgium cultural life. In this respect, it might be argued that the representation of life within such amorphous cultural environment must align with the qualities of living as practiced by both the natives and the immigrants. The discourse of artistic culture has continued to gain force in the Belgium with perspectives shifting in accordance with the form and genre of art. In literature, music, theatre, and other forms of art, such art is brought out in a manner that captures the aspirations of success in the new land, while at the same time showing some element of nostalgia in the artists long for the beauties and heritage of the land they left at home (Wolf, 2004). It would be fitting to appraise such paintings in terms of the other forms of art such as painting. The main difference between expressionist art and the art of the peoples of the new world is that they tend to articulate culture in uniquely complex perspectives. For expressionist art for instance, there is a sudden spontaneous overflow of feelings, emotions, and attitudes brought out in the art. The spontaneity of this art is often represented in terms of the feelings of desire, anger, love, passion, and disillusionment (English, 2007; Anfam, 2010). These are some of the feelings that Delvaux relies on predominantly to show the manner in which the Belgium culture has evolved over time. It would be appropriate to bring about some of the elements that have engaged the talents and beliefs of the expressionists. In general terms the expressionists could seek to portray certain aspects of the society in ways that are generally rebellious of the existing order. The expressionists often tend to portray society in ways that offer their opinion and the public opinion and aspirations about the selected aspects of the society (Scott, 1992). On that score, they may act as the voices of the suppressed and oppressed masses. At other times, they may choose to act in ways that are completely out of tandem with the society. This streak of rebellion is often brought about by the manifestation of issues in ways that defy acts of convention and other issues of the society (Barthelman & Deun, 2007). Delvaux art as expressed in his canvasses is largely a portrayal of reality as it occurs on the Belgium society. The expression of this art is often considered as one of the factors that condition the thinking within the socio-cultural edifice of the society. Generally, this art tends to promote certain aspects such the collapse of romantic relationship and family disintegration within the Belgium society. Other issues that often engage the interest of Delvaux include the challenges of living in a multiracial society, the insecurities in the social and political lives, particularly as they occur at the individual level, and the problematic definitions of the elements of art as they occur within the Belgium culture. Generally, Delvaux tends to portray society in ways that represent the inequalities of life. He uses his personal experiences and his projections on social happenings to bring out his paintings in ways that are highly emotive and suggestive of such challenges. Usually, such matters are captured in ways that are highly representative of his personal philosophies. The paintings on some of his canvases are deliberately deformed, or captured in shapes that out of shape in order to bring out the aspect of expression and defiance against the norms. The faces of the people on the canvases portray exaggerated emotions of anger, surprise, or happiness in ways that are out of shape with expected reality. In the art of expressionism, such tactics are necessarily intended to challenge the normative traditions of balance. According to art critics, the ends of expressionist artists are to create an alternative world order to replace the one, which they have disapproved. It is sometimes necessary to represent their art as a microcosm of another world. Other critics argue that the expressionist artists seek to create an impossible world of utopia in their portrayal of artistic images without balance. Expressionist art, in some cases may seek to side with the minority views (Ingo, 2000). It mocks and parodies the dominant views as expressed within the artistic meta-narratives of the time. On this matter, it would be important to conclude that the portrayal of reality in ways that are essentially important defies the norms of expressionist artists. The challenge often posed is that while identifying the flaws of the society, the expressionist artists do not actually suggest alternatives (Klingsohr-Leroy, 2004). It is because of this challenge that some critics have branded the expressionist artists as anarchic and heretics with a nihilistic and misleading mission to challenge the status quo. It might be important to consider certain issues that engage the attention of expression art as some form of extension of their psychological states of mind. Psychoanalytical analyses into some of these issues have tended to focus largely on the manner in which personality traits influence art. One of the issues that have continued to engage the attention of critics is the extent to which the individual traits of the artists could go to determine the kind of work that they engage in (Carels & Deun, 2004). In this respect, it would be important to consider Delvaux is known as a superstitious and guarded personality, who rarely exposes his intentions to people. This could be considered as one of the guiding factors that often drive him to protest against the norms in the kind of paintings he engages in. Delvaux compares to some of the other artists who have continued to articulate their dissent against the normative traditions of the society through various aspects. It is important to consider the fact that he continually represents himself as a solution-seeker and opts for the path often avoided by many. He detests dogmas and other uncritical views that are held by other artists of his time. The realities of the twentieth and the twenty first century are captured in critical perspectives in order to supply the truth he seeks to represent (McDonald, 2009; Adamowicz, 2006). On this matter, he takes a comparable perspective to artists who believe that the work of the artists is to use his or her artistic skills to critic the society and hold it to account for some of the ills. In order to achieve such ends, it becomes necessary to challenge dominant artistic conventions (Claybourne, 2009; Conley & Taminiaux, 2006). Theoretically, dominant artistic narratives thrive within the support of the existing powers and authorities (Caws, 2004). They are, as of necessity, anchored on the views of the society as controlled and imposed by the authorities. Expressionist artists have to step out of such dominant cultural assumptions of art in order for them to invent another way of perception. Delvaux and artists of his time have often captured the spirits of the society by curving out alternatives. Some of such artists, particularly those who operate within the Belgium artistic society have often incurred the Marxist or socialist slur from those who work from the center. It becomes important to consider such works as a manifestation of the unease that separates this breed of artists from their other contemporaries. Ultimately, it might be argued that Delvaux devoted his art and career to the style of blowing reality out of its accustomed normalcy in order to capture some intended aspect of art. This style is very much consistent with the style of depicting reality in ways that capture the essence of feminine power in a strangely erotic manner; the pictures are captured in titillated terms that seem to suggest some kind sexual attraction in the pictures. It is therefore important to consider the fact that expressionism and surrealism as essentially aimed at circumventing the dominant views, they seek to offer alternative aspects of reality beyond the one supplied in the ordinary discourse. For some the main intention is simply the celebration of the limitless nature of art. For others, the ideal is meant to capture the aspect of artistic revolution. It might be regarded as the desire to explore beyond the acceptable, the usual, and the ordinary. It is a test to the limits of art as captured within surrealism and expressionism. References Adamowicz, E. (2006). Surrealism: Crossings/Frontiers. New York: Peter Lang. Anfam, D. (2010). Abstract Expressionism: A World Elsewhere. New York: Haunch of Venison. Barthelman, Z & Deun, J. (2007). Paul Delvaux: odyssey of a dream. New York: Foundation Paul Delvaux. Carels, G & Deun, C. (2004). Paul Delvaux: His Life. Brussels: Paul Delvaux Foundation. Caws, M., A. (2004). Surrealism. New York: Phaidon. Cheney, S. (2008). Expressionism in Art. New York: Moran Press. Claybourne, A. (2009). Surrealism. London: Heinemann/Raintree. Conley, K & Taminiaux, P. (eds). (2006). Yale French Studies, Number 109: Surrealism and Its Others. Yale: Yale University Press. Delvaux, P. (1942). The Village of the Mermaids. Retrieved http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/mermaids.html Delvaux, P. (1943). The Strollers. http://ugysenezem.tumblr.com/post/15894990542 Delvaux, P. (1943). Woman in Front of the Sea. Retrieved. http://arthousereproductions.com/woman-in-front-of-the-sea-1943-Paul-Delvaux Delvaux, P. (1947). The Great Sirens. http://en.wahooart.com/A55A04/w.nsf/Opra/BRUE-7ZS7DY Delvaux, P. (1949). A Siren in Full Moonlight. Retrieved. http://www.artsheaven.com/paul-delvaux-a-siren-in-full-moonlight.html English, R. (2007). Abject Expressionism. New York: Last Gasp. Ingo, W. F. (2000). Art of the Twentieth Century, Part 1. New York: Publisher Taschen. Klingsohr-Leroy, C. (2004). Surrealism. New York:Taschen. McDonald, G. (2009). Frommers Belgium, Holland & Luxembourg. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Scott, D. (1992). Paul Delvaux: Surrealizing the Nude. Brussels: Reaktion Books. Temkin, A. (2010). Abstract Expressionism at the Museum of Modern Art: Selections from the Collection. New York: Museum of Modern Art. Wolf, N. (2004). Expressionism. London: Taschen, 2004. Read More