Marcel Delmotte
Oil on panel
70 x 50 cm

Arcadië reflects several significant Western art styles that flourished throughout the first half of the 20th century; surrealist, cubist, and modernist elements blent with a touch of Neoclassicist nostalgia deepen the piece itself. As we can see in most of Delmotte’s works, Arcadië reflects the artist's fantasy world. The theme `Arcadia` (or utopia) was always popular in western art; various master artists are known for their pieces about the ideal place and society they want to live in. Delmotte’s Arcadië is different from the conventional arcadia paintings; rather than a green pastoral landscape depiction, we see the depiction of an urban area harmonized with its nature. By this piece, Delmotte emphasizes that creating a utopia in the era of industrialization is possible.

Two figures refer to the characters associated with heaven, such as Adam and Eve or Dante and Vergilius.