- 149
Raoul Dufy
Description
- Raoul Dufy
- La Course à Epsom
- Signed Raoul Dufy, inscribed Epsom and dated 1937 (lower center)
- Gouache and watercolor on paper
- 19 1/2 by 25 3/4 in.
- 49.5 by 65.4 cm
Provenance
Galerie Fanny Guillon-Laffaille, Paris
Acquired from the above
Literature
Condition
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Raoul Dufy developed his distinct style of bold colors and strong lines after encountering the art of Henri Matisse and the Fauves at the Salon d’Automne in 1905. In the present work, Dufy has applied vibrant greens, blues and purples in transparent washes that break the black outlines, lending a sense of movement and spontaneity to the scene and thus conveying beautifully the vibrant atmosphere of horse racing. As Dora Perez-Tibi describes, "These racecourse scenes—whether in France, at Deauville, Lonchamp or Chantilly or, in England, at Epsom, Ascot or Goodwood—allowed Dufy to put his 'couleur-lumière' theory into practice... He decided to convey light by means of colour; the absence of colour represents the unlit area... For Dufy, the balance of the composition comes from the distribution of all the points of light in the centre of each element of the painting. It was here that he found the secret of his composition" (Dora Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, pp. 158-62).