Paul Delvaux

Laure Delvaux (a gift from the artist)
Jean Delvaux (by descent from the above and sold: Sotheby's, Amsterdam, October 25, 1999, lot 226)
Acquired at the above sale

Charleroi, Salle de la Bourse, 31ème Salon du Cercle Royal Artistique et Littéraire de Charleroi, Rétrospective Paul Delvaux, 1957, no. 2
Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, Gallerie Civiche D'Arte Moderna, Paul Delvaux, 1986, no. 2
Brussels, Musée royaux des beaux-arts de Belgique, Paul Delvaux, 1897-1994, 1997, no. 23, illustrated pp. 14 & 78
Paris, Centre culturel Wallonie-Bruxelles, Hommage à Paul Delvaux, 1985, no. 2

Michel Butor, Jean Clair & Suzanne Houbart-Wilkin, Delvaux, Lausanne, 1975, no. 51, illustrated p. 162
Le Point, Paris, January 12, 1986, illustrated 
Le Pays Mosan de Paul Delvaux (exhibition catalogue), Musée Communal, Huy, 1997, illustrated p. 61

The canvas is not lined. There is some discoloured varnish preventing the UV light from full penetrating, however, UV examination does reveal a few spots and lines of fluorescence predominantly in places along the upper half of the work. There are some fine lines of stable craquelure, with a spot of associated paint loss in the light blue pigment to the right, above the commode. The texture is varied, and this work is in overall good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

By exhibiting his work in several of the international Surrealist exhibitions organized by André Breton throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, Delvaux earned his place amongst the daring avant-garde artists of the time such as Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí and fellow Belgian Magritte. Although his paintings were occasionally considered controversial for their frank depictions of nudity and unabashed sensuality, Delvaux’s work was widely appreciated for its beguilingly mysterious subject matter.

Depicting the kitchen of the artist’s maternal grandparents, La Cuisine is a quiet hommage to his childhood. Here the artist pulls away from his surrealist tendencies and securely grounds the viewer in a sentimental reality. As Giséle Ollinger-Zinque states, "…memories of childhood, of the grandparents’ house with the cherished homely decorations that enlivened and personified The Kitchen where life was good, where it was safe and cozy, a real maternal breast on which the sensitive adolescent, bruised too soon by life, could take refuge" (Gisèle Ollinger-Zinque, Paul Delvaux, 1987-1994 (exhibition catalogue), Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, 1997, p. 14). The work catalogues the comforts of daily life, a newspaper careless tossed aside with reading spectacles resting on top, chairs haphazardly pushed aside, pots and pans atop the stove ready to be used for the next meal.