Belgian artist of the 1930s: Paul Delvaux, Acropolis
Lecture 20: Surrealism and the Classical Tradition
A. Surrealist Art- 1920s-40s
1. Born of Symbolist Art and Dada
2. Andre Breton
3. The Surrealist Manifesto of 1924
4. Giorgio de Chirico
Melancholy and Mystery of a Street, 1914
5. Salvador Dali
Persistence of Memory, 1921
B. Paul Delvaux of Belgium- Neo-Classical Surrealist
1. Influence of J.A.D. Ingres
2. Influence of Antoine Wirtz
3. Strangely mixed motives
4. Influence of Jean Delville
5. Classical art meets the modern world
6. Archaeological scenes
7. Delvaux blue
8. Minoan influences
9. Juxtaposition
10. Surrealist Academicism
11. Obsessive Detail
[view two images of Paul Devaux paintings: The Sacrifice of Iphigenia and The Iron Age]
C. Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966)
1. 68 year career but what is he? A Philadelphia Quaker!
2. Characteristics
1. Artist of the American people, especially the college student
2. Utopia beckons you- escape into dreamy, erotic landscape
3. The influence of Botticelli and Titian
4. Cornish, New Hampshire- the role of landscape and light
5. Color layering and varnishing- famous for Parrish Blue
6. Photographic realism in fantasy-land
7. Dynamic symmetry
3. Lydia Parrish and Susan Lewin- the mysterious relationship
4. Influences- George Lucas and Star Wars, Robin Williams in What Dreams May Come, Enya