Raoul Dufy

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) was one of the most beloved French painters of the twentieth century, whose brilliantly colored, sun-filled scenes of the French Riviera, regattas, concerts, horse races, and elegant Parisian life have made him one of the most recognized artists of the modern era. Born in Le Havre, he received his early artistic training at the Municipal School of Fine Arts in his native city, where he studied alongside Georges Braque and Othon Friesz, two lifelong friends who would follow parallel paths through the Parisian avant-garde. He continued his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Léon Bonnat.

Dufy's early work engaged with Impressionism, but his artistic direction was transformed in 1905 when he encountered Henri Matisse's Luxe, Calme et Volupté at the Salon d'Automne. The revelation of Fauvist color changed him permanently, and he became one of the movement's most important second-tier figures. His work went on to absorb aspects of Cézanne and Cubism, but he ultimately developed an unmistakable personal style: bright unmodeled color washes overlaid with calligraphic drawn lines, producing pictures of remarkable lightness, wit, and decorative confidence.

Alongside his painting, Dufy pursued an extraordinarily varied career in the applied arts, designing textiles for the couturier Paul Poiret and the silk manufacturer Bianchini-Férier, producing ceramic decorations, and illustrating books by Guillaume Apollinaire and other writers. His masterpiece La Fée Électricité, painted for the 1937 Paris Exposition, is one of the largest paintings ever produced. Dufy received the Legion of Honor and continued to paint prolifically despite the severe rheumatoid arthritis that afflicted his later years. His works are held in the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée National d'Art Moderne, and virtually every major museum worldwide.