Raoul Ernest Joseph Dufy was born on June 3, 1877 in Le Havre and died on March 23, 1953 in Forcalquier. The second of eleven children, he began his artistic training at the École Municipale des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre, before joining the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1900. A close friend of Othon Friesz and Albert Marquet, Dufy explored Fauvism, then drew inspiration from Cézanne and Cubism to develop a luminous and colorful style.
He worked in many fields: painting, watercolor, engraving, ceramics, tapestry, furniture, interior and theater design. His decorative motifs for fabrics by Paul Poiret and the Bianchini-Férier house left their mark on the French textile industry. Dufy painted scenes of festivals, regattas, horse races, and landscapes, often dissociating color and outline to create a unique vibrancy.
Among his major works areThe Electricity Fairy(1937, Museum of Modern Art, Paris) and the triptychThe Course of the Seine(Museum of Fine Arts of Rouen). His talent was recognized by the French state, and he was elevated to the rank of Commander of the Legion of Honor. He died in Forcalquier in 1953, leaving a considerable artistic legacy exhibited in numerous international museums.
