1877 -1953 · Le Havre, Paris and Mediterranean

Free color, dancing line and joy of the show make Raoul Dufy a major inventor between Fauvism, decor and modernity.

Raoul Dufy was born in Le Havre in 1877 and died in Forcalquier in 1953. Trained at the Le Havre School of Fine Arts then in Paris, he first looked at the Impressionists. The discovery of Matisse and Fauvism in 1905 freed his palette; Cézanne's lesson then further structured his landscapes. Dufy gradually developed a language where the fast line does not always coincide with the colorful beach. This slight shift gives the scene its mobility and its light. Landscape with three straw wheels gradually gives the scene its mobility and its light. Landscape with three straw wheels transposes the rural motif into a network of curves, signs and light colors. Bather at Sainte-Adresse connects body, sea and memory of the Le Havre coastline in flexible writing. Portraits by Nico Mazaraki and Fernand Fleuret show another facet: silhouette, accessory and background summarize the model with economy rather than modeling. Dufy paints regattas, races, concerts, workshops, gardens and parties, but his activity goes far beyond canvas. He practices wood engraving, watercolor, ceramics, tapestry, theater decor and textile creation, notably with Paul Poiret and the Bianchini-Férier house. In 1937, the immense fresco La Fée Électrcité brought together science, industry and light in a panoramic setting. Despite illness, Dufy continued a work of astonishing vitality until the end. Despite illness, Dufy pursued a work of astonishing vitality until the end. color. The "Raoul Dufy" selection notably compares Landscape with Three Straw Mills and Portrait of Nico Mazaraki. His reading favors atmosphere.

Dufy separates the line from the color to make them dance better: the world becomes a sign, rhythm and light without losing its sensitive presence.