“Ruins of Selinunte,” created by Paul Delvaux in 1973, is an oil painting on canvas measuring 140 x 220 cm. The artwork, associated with the Surrealism movement, is classified as a genre painting.
The artwork captures an enigmatic scene set in a wooded area, with two nude female figures positioned centrally, walking away and towards the viewer respectively. To the left side, a clothed woman in a grey dress with a blue ribbon stands pensively among the trees, while to the right, a seated woman in a red skirt and black hat adorned with flowers gazes contemplatively towards the center. In the background, an expansive landscape features a railway with a passing train, power lines, and statues that hint at the ruins, blending elements of the natural and industrial worlds. Delvaux’s meticulous attention to detail and dreamlike composition evoke a sense of mystery and introspection, typical of the Surrealist genre.
