56 - △ Paul Delvaux

△ Paul Delvaux (Wanze, 1897 – Furnes, 1994) Les Derniers beaux jours 1978–1979 Etching colored with watercolor on Japanese paper Signed in graphite in the lower right margin Numbered on the left E/A Dry stamp in the lower left corner Image dimensions: 38 × 30 cm; Sheet dimensions: 76 × 56 cm; With frame: 78 × 58.5 cm The Belgian writer Claude Spaak had become friends with Paul Delvaux, whose works he collected and to whom he also entrusted the set designs for his plays. He had set up a studio for him in his home in Choisel, located in the Paris region, where the artist lived for a time with his mistress, Tam. The two lovers, in fact, signed the dedication on this engraving. Dédicace et référence Artist’s dedication: “For Renaud // on the occasion of his birthday on July 18, 1980. // With much affection, 8-8-1980 // Tam and Paul ” Engravings from the same series of illustrations featured in: Paul Delvaux (1897–1994): A Poetic Journey, Geneva, Musée du Petit Palais, November 4, 1999–February 13, 2000, pp. 67–72, cat. nos. 56–63 Littérature Mira Jacob, Paul Delvaux: Engravings, Monaco, A. Sauret, 1976 Philippe Levesqueau, “A Secret Garden in Choisel,” Echos de Choisel, no. 72, January 2022, pp. 28–29