Raoul Dufy — Works of the French Modernist from 1905 to 1951

Raoul Dufy was one of the most prominent representatives of French Fauvism and 20th-century modernist painting, a master of color and composition.

His paintings combine visual art, music, and poetry, creating a world of metaphors and imagery. While connected to the major artistic movements of his time, Raoul Dufy remained a fully original artist. He boldly experimented with techniques, developing his own style of bright and dynamic watercolor. Dufy always sought harmony between color and form: his art was an attempt to convey the joy of life and the emotional richness of the moment. Lightness and joy of being — this is the spirit that pervades Dufy's work. On his canvases, regattas and horse races, graceful horses and elegant gentlemen, refined ladies, and life itself appear as a celebration.

Raoul Dufy did not hesitate to explore the most current artistic trends of his era. In the early 20th century, he was drawn to Impressionism. In 1905, he encountered Fauvism and for a moment felt: "This is it." By 1910, Cubism captured his interest, but that passion proved short-lived. It took about fifteen years for Dufy to find his own style, and for a time, he even stepped away from painting entirely to fully develop his unique voice.

Throughout his life, Raoul Dufy created over 3,000 oil paintings, 6,000 watercolors, and as many original drawings, as well as decorative panels and textile works.

For publication, we selected around 100 paintings by Dufy from 1905 to 1951 for several reasons:

• This period covers both the artist's development and maturity, showing the full range of his creative searches.
• The works reflect the key themes of the era: Fauvism, Cubism, and decorative arts.
• The paintings have high aesthetic and investment value — art that continues to inspire and delight.

The gallery features the most significant works of Raoul Dufy — from early Fauvist experiments to mature canvases. Paintings are presented in chronological order, allowing viewers to trace the evolution of his style and emotional range. Each canvas is a testament to the search for spiritual and artistic truths. We have aimed to provide high-quality reproductions to convey the spirit of the originals.

Raoul Dufy - Paysage de Provence

1905, 49 × 63 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Bal Populaire

1906, 42 × 35 cm

Raoul Dufy - The White Sail

1906, 57 × 73 cm

Raoul Dufy - Jeanne Dans Les Fleurs

1907, 90 × 77 cm

Raoul Dufy - The Fishermen

1907, 54 × 65 cm

Raoul Dufy - Boats Docked at the Pier of Marseille

1908, 73 × 60 cm

Raoul Dufy - Factory in L’Estaque

1908, 73 × 60 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Maison Dans Les Arbres

1908, 73 × 60 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Statue Aux Deux Vases

1908, 105 × 81 cm

Raoul Dufy - L’Avenue du Bois de Boulogne

1908, 61 × 43 cm

Raoul Dufy - Paisaje de Vence

1908, 65 × 81 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Clocher

1908, 65 × 54 cm

Raoul Dufy - Paesaggio All’Estaque

1908

Raoul Dufy - Cavaliers Avenue du Bois

1909, 60 × 73 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Jardin des Plantes

1909, 46 × 55 cm

Raoul Dufy - Riders

1909, 54 × 65 cm

Raoul Dufy - Sainte Adresse, La Plage

1909, 54 × 65 cm

Raoul Dufy - Au Bois de Boulogne

1910, 54 × 65 cm

Raoul Dufy - The Marie Christine Casino and Le Havre Beach

1910, 65 × 81 cm

Raoul Dufy - Landscape

1910

Raoul Dufy - Le Port du Havre

1910, 65 × 81 cm

Raoul Dufy - The Beach at Havre

1910, 46 × 55 cm

Raoul Dufy - View from an Open Window

1910, 46 × 55 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Jardin à Munich

1910, 55 × 46 cm

Raoul Dufy - Fountain in Avignon

1913, 73 × 60 cm

Raoul Dufy - Landscape of Falaise

1913, 46 × 38 cm

Raoul Dufy - Maison et Jardin au Havre

1915, 117 × 90 cm

Raoul Dufy - Josephine Baker

1925

Raoul Dufy - View Through a Window, Nice

1925, 91 × 71 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Flotte à Villefranche

1926, 65 × 80 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Tour Eiffel

1927, 65 × 81 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Fenêtre Ouverte à Nice

1928, 65 × 54 cm

Raoul Dufy - Nice, La Baie des Anges

1928, 50 × 61 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Reja

1930, 132 × 162 cm

Raoul Dufy - Paysage de Langres

1933, 37 × 46 cm

Raoul Dufy - La Seine au Pont de la Concorde

1935, 42 × 62 cm

Raoul Dufy - Wheatfield in Normandy

1935, 46 × 55 cm

Raoul Dufy - Nu dans un Paysage

1935, 55 × 46 cm

Raoul Dufy - Torre Blanca

1947, 81 × 65 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Cargo Noir

1951, 36 × 41 cm

Raoul Dufy - Place de la Concorde, Paris

1955, 50 × 65 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Pont du Carrousel

Raoul Dufy - Monmartre, Rue Norvins

46 × 55 cm

The artist believed that art should express not the external world but the inner reality. Evaluating Dufy's work, based on our own preferences, sense of taste, and the emotional impact of his paintings, we highlight several works imbued with the lightness of life. Raoul Dufy stated:

"And I love everything that appears in the most beautiful light. Faces are perceived in ensemble. In painting, the most essential element is color. And color is a phenomenon of light. To paint light, the artist turns to pigments. Flower, woman, butterfly? Simple events of the great drama of color and light."

“With Raoul Dufy, the joy of life left us,” was said at Dufy's funeral. But it is not so, because the lightness of being, the blue sea and sky, the festivities that Dufy loved to paint, remain with us forever. In his paintings, we feel the scent of the sea on the azure French coast and select four magnificent works of the artist:

Raoul Dufy - The Little Palm Tree

1905, 91 × 79 cm

Raoul Dufy - Dusk at La Baie des Anges, Nice

1932, 38 × 46 cm

Raoul Dufy - Le Bassin de Deauville

1938, 60 × 73 cm

Raoul Dufy - The Big Tree

1942