Paul Delvaux (1897–1994) was a Belgian painter associated with Surrealism whose enigmatic scenes combine classical architecture, modern cities and train stations with nude figures, skeletons and ancient ruins. He studied architecture and painting at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, developing an early interest in carefully constructed architectural space. Encounters with the work of Giorgio de Chirico and René Magritte in the 1930s helped lead Delvaux toward the dreamlike imagery for which he became known. Delvaux created carefully rendered yet psychologically mysterious worlds in which figures often appear disconnected from one another and absorbed in private reveries. His recurring trains and stations suggest travel and the passage of time, while skeletons and ruins evoke mortality and the impermanence of human achievement. Although closely identified with Surrealism, Delvaux never formally joined the movement. His distinctive combination of classical beauty, modern industrial spaces and dream logic established him as one of the most important Belgian artists associated with 20th century Surrealism.