Le jour au marche, Place de l'Abbaye a Preuilly-sur-Claise by Jean Dufy

Jean Dufy
1888-1964 | French

Le jour au marche, Place de l'Abbaye a Preuilly-sur-Claise
(Market Day. Abbey Square in Preuilly-sur-Claise)

Signed "Jean Dufy" (lower right)
Gouache on paper

Few artists so perfectly captured the joyful exuberance of early 20th-century France as the modern painter Jean Dufy. The spirited mood of the boulevards, markets and parks of his native country was a favorite subject for Dufy throughout his career. Here, he captures a bustling market at the base of a towering church in the town of Preuilly-sur-Claise. Dufy perfectly captures the energy of the scene by rendering the shoppers, merchants and horses in contrasting pops of blue, red and green. His avant-garde use of color breathes life into the scene, which displays the bright fluidity for which he is celebrated.

Born in Le Havre, Normandy, both Dufy and his famous older brother Raoul showed a talent for drawing at an early age. After his military service, he moved to Paris in 1912, eventually befriending key members of the French avant-garde, including Derain, Braque, Picasso, and Apollinaire. His early watercolors reflect the remarkable influence of this group, as well as his own brother, Raoul.

For 30 years, Dufy also worked as a painter on porcelain at the famous ateliers of Théodore Haviland in Limoges, France, winning a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1923. He frequently exhibited his painted works throughout Paris and the United States. Today, Dufy's works are found in numerous museums throughout the world, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou (Paris), and Museum of Modern Art (New York).

This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné currently in preparation.

Mid-20th century

Paper: 16 1/2" high x 22 1/2" wide
Frame: 26" high x 32" wide

Provenance:
Galerie d'Art Castiglione, Paris
Private collection, UK (acquired from the above in 1986)
M.S. Rau, New Orleans