Important Notice

Lot 10

After initially painting with the Fauve artists in 1905-06, Raoul Dufy established a style of painting all of his own. His joyful and brightly colored oils and watercolors capture the joie de vivre of France between the wars in paintings of wit and brilliance. Dufy invented rather than represented nature. He was extraordinarily optimistic and this is evident in his paintings. He understood the world in terms of decorative art and indeed turned... After initially painting with the Fauve artists in 1905-06, Raoul Dufy established a style of painting all of his own. His joyful and brightly colored oils and watercolors capture the joie de vivre of France between the wars in paintings of wit and brilliance. Dufy invented rather than represented nature. He was extraordinarily optimistic and this is evident in his paintings. He understood the world in terms of decorative art and indeed turned his attention to textile design for a while, which like his paintings were a tapestry of clear colors.

He became renowned for his depictions of luxury and pleasure, including yachting scenes, sparkling views of the French Riviera, chic parties, and musical events. However, he is above all admired for his portrayal of all matters concerning horse racing, which he frequently attended in both France and England in the 1920s and 30s such as at Chantilly, Deauville, Ascot and Goodwood.

Dufy declared of his style of painting: "The color captures the light that forms and animates the group as a whole. Every object or group of objects is placed within its own area of light and shade, receiving its share of reflections and being subjected to the arrangement decided by the artist" (quoted in D. Perez- Tibi, Dufy, London, 1989, p. 150). By eschewing naturalistic coloring, Dufy makes our experience of nature all the more vivid. His paintings are "suffused with the purest of poetic sensibilities, energised by a master draughtsman, and orchestrated by a great colorist" (B. Robertson, Raoul Dufy 1877-1953 (exhibition catalogue), London, Hayward Gallery, 1983-4, p. 43).

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