The Beautiful Night 1962

Paul Delvaux made *The Beautiful Night* with paint on canvas, but when, exactly? That's part of the delicious mystery. The painting's got this theatrical vibe, right? I mean, it’s a stage set, but the play... that’s up to you. Look at the way the dark trees are drawn, like a scrim revealing the background. The color scheme, these deep reds and blues against pale, fleshy tones, feels both eerie and inviting. See how the surface is smooth? Like, he’s trying to hide the brushstrokes, trying to give it this polished, dreamlike quality. And those figures... it’s like they're caught between being real and being apparitions. It makes me think of De Chirico's dreamscapes, where you're never quite sure if you're awake or not. It's strange and beautiful, and in the end, that’s what makes it so haunting.