Appreciated his work more when we saw the original paintings at Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice, France. Raoul Dufy was a French Fauvist painter and designer whose paintings portrayed leisure activities and urban landscapes. He created airy washes of light and shade, into which he would draw bold calligraphic brushstrokes. He painted views of the Mediterranean city of Nice, as well as scenes of horse races and regattas. His color palette was influence by Claude Monet and Henri Matisse. The artist developed a colorful, decorative style that became fashionable for designs of ceramics and textiles. He was also a draftsman, printmaker, book illustrator, scenic designer, a designer of furniture, and a planner of public spaces. Following are quotes from the artist:
“Blue is the only color which maintains its own character in all its tones it will always stay blue; whereas yellow is blackened in its shades, and fades away when lightened; red when darkened becomes brown, and diluted with white is no longer red, but another color – pink.”
“My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.”
“What I wish to show when I paint is the way I see things with my eyes and in my heart.”
Images: Courtesy of various sources.
