Biography: Raoul Dufy

Known for his joyous contributions to the Fauve movement in art in the early 20th century, Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) actually began his painting career as an Impressionist. When a brilliant group of painters headed by Henri Matisse began breaking away and developing a new style, one painter who found his niche in the newly formed Fauve group was Raoul Dufy.

Life with the Fauves

Like the Impressionists, the Fauves rejected the idea of realism in their work. Where the Impressionists used pastel colors and light to tell their painterly stories, the Fauves (“wild beasts” according to one French art critic) used an expressionistic style that was more free, vibrant, and spontaneous.

The Fauves instead used color dramatically, in part to convey emotion: Matisse painted a green streak down a portrait of his wife’s face to separate light from shade, Derain painted a scene of Charing Cross Bridge in London that looked more like it belonged in the tropics, and Dufy embraced his subjects with a wild, reckless optimism that left critics shaking their heads in wonder.

Dufy’s Work

In “Regatta at Cowes” (1934) and “The English Promenade at Nice” (1946), a glorious blue dominates these water scenes. In “Regatta at Cowes,” the boats seem to swirl in a wild pattern across the canvas, hiding the true nature of the artist’s careful organization, making the activity seem effortless, nearly random.

Like Matisse, who also painted in the south of France, Dufy concentrated on brightly hued sea views and boldly patterned interiors. Whether it’s Dufy’s “The Workshop with the Bouquet” (1942) or “The Painter’s Studio” (1949), these environments capture a light-heartedness and energy that also led some critics to question Dufy’s seriousness about art.

What was at first hidden by Dufy’s use of pure colors and soft lines was his utter seriousness and clearly choreographed style, which presented in striking fashion the everyday vistas and still life that inspired him. What motivated Dufy was not only the pursuit of joy through his painting, but a conscious decision to be free and disinterested in making a “cultural statement,” often the signature of modern painting. What at first may appear incoherent, in truth is really a clarity of color and thought used to express the artist’s unbridled enthusiasm.

Professional Recognition

Eventually, even in his own time, Raoul Dufy came to be recognized as an important classic artist of the modern era, and he received many awards and honors. His most important recognition, however, came in the commission of 1936 when Dufy was selected to decorate the Palais de l’Electricite for the Parisian World’s Fair. At the time, his painting for the exhibition was more than 200 feet, the largest ever produced by an artist in Europe at the time.

Artistic Exploration

The short-lived Fauve movement resulted in a dissolution of the painting group, but for Dufy it merely expanded the areas of art to be explored. A thirst for experimentation led him to work in the mediums of book illustration, wood cuts, ceramics, and textile design, although he always returned to his first love, painting.

Despite suffering for years with debilitating arthritis, Dufy continued to paint until his death in 1953. Often referred to as the “Painter of Light,” Dufy will forever be known for his work in the Fauve style.