Raoul Dufy, 1877-1953
Raoul Dufy was born June 3, 1877 in Le Havre, France, began art classes at Le Havre Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1895. He went to Paris in 1900 with a scholarship to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris to study under Bonnat. His work was first shown at the Berthe Weill Gallery in Paris in 1902.
During the early 1900s, Dufy became acquainted with fauvism through his association
...see more »with Matisse and other artists. He also experimented with cubism, but eventually developed his own style of swift brush strokes called stenographic. His use of pure color in applications called diffusions, led to his unique style that sometimes blurred across objects making them half green or half blue. His favorite subjects were regattas, beach scenes, casinos or racecourses. Besides his great sense of color and his painting, he enjoyed poetry, drawing and music that enhanced his art showing a joie de vivre that is hard to resist.
During the years 1905 -1920 he worked in a museum designing fabrics and illustrations, while also doing ceramic decoration, tapestries and decorative painting. By 1925, Dufy's reputation was secure and he was commissioned to do several murals for public buildings. He painted a fresco for the International Exposition in Paris in 1938 that was a popular tribute to electricity called La Fee Electricite.
His watercolors and oils were always entertaining and light and retain a level of freshness. He was called the Granddaddy of Modern Chic during a visit to the United States in the 1950s. Dufy began to suffer from multiple arthritis in 1937 that affected his painting, so he moved to southwestern France. In 1947 he sought cortisone treatments in the United States, then returned to France to continue to paint. He died March 23, 1953 near the city of Nice, France. His work can be found in museums and galleries, private collections and art retailers worldwide.
Paintings
1912 Sailboat at Sainte-Adresse (Museum of Modern Art, New York City)
1923 The Palm (Museum of Modern Art, New York City)
1925 The Poet François Berthault (Museum of Modern Art, New York City)
c.1929 Window at Nice (Museum of Modern Art, New York City)
1930 Chateau and Horses (Phillips Collection, Washington, DC)
Illustrations
1910 Apollinaire's Bestiaire« see less
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