- 145
Raoul Dufy
Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Raoul Dufy
- LA PELOUSE
- stamped Raoul Dufy (lower left)
- watercolour and gouache on paper
- 50 by 65.7cm., 19 3/4 by 25 3/4 in.
Provenance
Estate of the artist
Private Collection, Belgium
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Private Collection, Belgium
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Condition
Executed on thick white wove paper, laid down on paper, taped to the overmount along all four edges. There are five lines of vertical flattened folds across the sheet with associated infill and retouching to cover the damaged areas. There are also areas of infill and retouching to the sky. Following high-quality extensive restoration, this work is in stable condition.
Colours: There is more yellow in the greens and the paper tone is warmer in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Dufy first depicted the subject of horse racing as early as 1913, but by the 1920s and 1930s it had become a central theme in his oeuvre. The artist visited racecourses frequently, often with fashion designers such as Paul Poiret and Bianchini. It was Poiret who urged Dufy to study the silhouettes, fashionable dress, and interactions of the sociable crowd of spectators as well as the horses captured in mid-race and the activity in the paddocks. Dufy was immediately drawn to the exhilarating atmosphere surrounding the race itself.
Dora Perez-Tibi sums up the theme of the present work perfectly: 'These race-course scenes - whether in France, at Deauville, Longchamp or Chantilly or, in England, at Epsom, Ascot or Goodwood - allowed Dufy to put his colour-lumière theory into practice. When the light ran parallel to the earth he observed that it struck the vertically represented object from one side only, while the other side remained in shadow. He decided to convey light by means of colour; the absence of colour characterises the unlit area... For Dufy, the balance of the composition comes from the distribution of all points of light in the centre of each element of the painting. It was here that he found the secret of his composition' (D. Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, pp. 158-162).
Dora Perez-Tibi sums up the theme of the present work perfectly: 'These race-course scenes - whether in France, at Deauville, Longchamp or Chantilly or, in England, at Epsom, Ascot or Goodwood - allowed Dufy to put his colour-lumière theory into practice. When the light ran parallel to the earth he observed that it struck the vertically represented object from one side only, while the other side remained in shadow. He decided to convey light by means of colour; the absence of colour characterises the unlit area... For Dufy, the balance of the composition comes from the distribution of all points of light in the centre of each element of the painting. It was here that he found the secret of his composition' (D. Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, pp. 158-162).