Raoul Dufy

Galerie Drouant, Paris
Sale: Sotheby's, London, April 24, 1968, lot 106
Sale: Christie's, New York, May 8, 2002, lot 260
Opera Gallery, London
Acquired from the above

Maurice Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. I, Geneva, 1976, no. 400, illustrated p. 334

Canvas is unlined. Some minor cracking in the upper left corner. Under UV light: pin dot-sized spots of inpainting in areas of exposed canvas to left of central figures and near bottom left corner, as well as a few strokes along center left edge and left corner. Work is in excellent 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.

Born in Le Havre, Dufy was always fascinated by the sea. Inspired by the fanfare surrounding lively regatta, he began to explore the subject as early as 1907-08. He saw the sea as a backdrop for human activities and made use of the freedom and dynamism of his composition with strong pure colors to express the smells and sounds associated with the seaside, and the excitement of the surrounding races. 

Like all artists of his generation, Dufy was confronted with the fundamental problem of a work of art: how to reconcile the illusion of representation, and the reality of it perceived by the artist himself. The answer lay, for Dufy, in the exploration of color and light. Caudebec, Le port reflects his focus on a heightened intensity of light and vibrancy, freeing color from the constraints of imitation and representation. 

Fig. 1 The artist's studio in Montmartre, Paris, before 1930