- 244
Raoul Dufy
Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Raoul Dufy
- Ascot
- Signed Raoul Dufy (lower center)
- Oil on canvas
- 14 7/8 by 18 1/8 in.
- 37.8 by 46 cm
Provenance
Galerie M. Bénézit, Paris
Mr. & Mrs. Hirsch, Paris (acquired from the above in 1959)
Private Collection (acquired from the above and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 11, 2000, lot 196)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Mr. & Mrs. Hirsch, Paris (acquired from the above in 1959)
Private Collection (acquired from the above and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 11, 2000, lot 196)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Condition
The canvas is unlined. There is some minor paint rubbing to the periphery. Some light craquelure apparent throughout the composition. When examined under UV light, there is minor scattered pin dots of retouching to the lower center of the red wall. The painting is in very good 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.
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
Dufy first approached the subject of horse racing as early as 1913, but by the 1920s it had become a central theme in his oeuvre. The range of bright colors and the vibrant energy at these events appealed to the artist. Encouraged by his friend and fashion designer Paul Poiret, Dufy was drawn to the fashionable dress and sociable crowd in and around the races. The present work is a testament to the exhilarating atmosphere surrounding the race itself that he found so fascinating.
Raoul Dufy’s oeuvre and legacy are most impressively characterized by his exuberant palette. His later canvases are a joyful celebration of color and pattern, indeed stemming back to the fateful moment at the Salon d’automne of 1905 when he first saw Matisse’s Luxe, calme et volupté, prompting his famous proclamation: "At the sight of this picture I understood all the new reasons for painting, and Impressionist realism lost its charm for me as I contemplated the miracle of the imagination introduced into design and color. I immediately understood the new pictorial mechanics" (quoted in John Elderfield, The Wild Beasts: Fauvism and Its Affinities, New York, 1976, p. 78).
Raoul Dufy’s oeuvre and legacy are most impressively characterized by his exuberant palette. His later canvases are a joyful celebration of color and pattern, indeed stemming back to the fateful moment at the Salon d’automne of 1905 when he first saw Matisse’s Luxe, calme et volupté, prompting his famous proclamation: "At the sight of this picture I understood all the new reasons for painting, and Impressionist realism lost its charm for me as I contemplated the miracle of the imagination introduced into design and color. I immediately understood the new pictorial mechanics" (quoted in John Elderfield, The Wild Beasts: Fauvism and Its Affinities, New York, 1976, p. 78).