The artwork “Palacios en Bría” by Xul Solar, created in 1932, utilizes watercolor as its medium and emerges from the Surrealism art movement. Classified under the genre of genre painting, this piece by the renowned artist is reflective of the imaginative and dream-like qualities typical of Surrealist works.
The artwork features an array of geometrically abstract forms, portraying an otherworldly cityscape, with vibrant colors integrated meticulously across the canvas. The surreal landscape presents various shapes—including rectangles, trapezoids, and elongated columns—floating and grounded within the frame. These vibrant forms are illuminated against a variegated sky that includes cosmic and celestial elements, contributing to the ethereal atmosphere of the scene. Inhabitants, depicted as faceless figures, navigate this fantastical urban environment, which creates a sense of enigmatic narrative. Through his portrayal of this surreal city, Xul Solar invites viewers into a multifaceted, other-dimensional realm, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.