“The Beautiful Night” is an oil on canvas artwork created in 1962 by the artist Paul Delvaux. The piece, which falls under the Surrealism movement, measures 140 by 220 centimeters and is classified as a cityscape.
The artwork depicts a nocturnal urban scene characterized by its eerie and dreamlike quality. Towering, leafless trees dominate the foreground, their branches intertwining ominously under a dark, starless sky. The street is lined with austere, red-brick buildings that cast long shadows under the street lamps. In the midst of this somber setting, three nude figures are present: two women walking barefoot along the pavement and a clothed figure moving towards the background. The stark contrast between the figures and the structured urban environment evokes a sense of otherworldliness, typical of Delvaux’s surrealistic approach. The juxtaposition of human forms with the rigid architecture and the haunting atmosphere creates a striking and enigmatic visual experience.
