The Office of Evening 1971

Paul Delvaux made this large canvas, *The Office of Evening*, at some point in his career using oil paint. The color palette is muted, almost monochromatic, dominated by cool blues, grays, and the pale flesh tones of the figures; it's a little like looking at a faded photograph. The painting’s surface is smooth, almost glassy, and the brushstrokes are so subtle they practically disappear. Yet, as I look closer, I notice tiny variations in texture on the surface of the figures, especially on their skin. This kind of subtle detail adds to the painting's eerie quality. The odd, dream-like quality of Delvaux’s work reminds me a little of Giorgio de Chirico. Both of them create these strange, melancholic scenes that feel both familiar and totally unreal. And, like de Chirico, Delvaux doesn't give us any easy answers. Instead, the painting embraces a kind of ambiguity that lets us project our own feelings and experiences onto it.