The object in context
The Royal Museums’ 2016 selection identifies this work by Paul Delvaux: oil on wood, inventory 7544, dated 1939. Its inventory number distinguishes the Brussels object from versions or reproductions elsewhere. The old list records a collection location in 2016, not a guarantee of display today.
Try this when you look
Separate the borrowed myth of Pygmalion from what the image actually shows. Describe posture, setting and the relation between figures without naming the myth. Then read the title and write what additional question it introduces. A literary reference is a starting point for looking, not a complete explanation.
Before you visit
Use the inventory number when checking the museum’s current collection information. Modern works in this selection were not all part of the same permanent gallery: five featured in a specific 2016 Patio presentation. Plan around confirmed display, not an archived room number.
- The object in context: The Royal Museums’ 2016 selection identifies this work by Paul Delvaux: oil on wood, inventory 7544, dated 1939.
- Try this when you look: Separate the borrowed myth of Pygmalion from what the image actually shows.
- Before you visit: Use the inventory number when checking the museum’s current collection information.