Galerie Christian Fayt, Knokke, Belgium
Sale: Christie's, London, December 6, 1996, lot 39
Acquired at the above sale

Work is in very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper. Taped around edges on verso. Watermark is visible at upper left corner of sheet. Artist's pinholes at all four corners. There is a 1/8 inch tear at center of right half of upper edge, otherwise fine. Flesh tones are very slightly faded.
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.

Executed in August 1945, the present work is an exquisite example of Delvaux's wonderfully mysterious and serene depictions of beautifully modelled nude female figures within an idyllic setting. These mystical and uncanny compositions are regarded as some of the most alluring examples of later Surrealist art. This work was executed at a point in the artist's career when he had established himself, alongside René Magritte, as the best known Surrealist artist in Belgium. By exhibiting his work in several of the international Surrealist exhibitions organised 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 artist 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 and the superb modelling of its figures.  

By placing the two figures in an idyllic and rural setting, Nus au jardin represents a departure from the usual urban and architectural setting in which Delvaux's nudes are usually seen. Beautifully executed, these two striking female nudes are presented amongst a peaceful and isolated setting of lush trees. The path in the fields behind them, which lends great depth and Delvaux's signature perspective to the scene, enhances the remoteness and tranquillity of their setting. The voluptuous and imposing forms of the two female nudes in the foreground become almost monumental. With regard to the feminine presence in Delvaux's work, Gisèle Ollinger-Zinque wrote: "The real essence of Delvaux's work is expressed in the feminine presence; it is there that the most violent part of the mystery resides. Breton immediately realised this. The Delvaux woman is not just any woman: she is sphinx-like, having no past and no future. She is fixed in her immobility, indifferent to the people around her; she waits for something that does not happen and will never happen. She is self-absorbed, fated to a life of wondering and solitude, to an eternal but unwanted virginity. She is allowed no movement and if she tries to move her action is arrested, useless, pointless. Her caresses are trapped in a void. The woman preens herself, arrayed in her nakedness, in her sculptural beauty or her embroidery and feathers, but this is only a show, for nothing comes out of the implied promises... The eroticism that arises from Delvaux's work is unsated and frozen, obvious yet mysterious. 'Naturally there is eroticism. Without eroticism I would find painting impossible. That painting of the nude in particular. A nude is erotic – even when indifferent, when glacial. What else would it be? The eroticism of my work resides in its evocation of youth and desire'" (G. Ollinger-Zinque in Paul Delvaux 1897-1994 (exhibition catalogue),🌠 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, 1997, pp. 22-23).