- 360
Raoul Dufy
Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 USD
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Description
- Raoul Dufy
- Les Régates
- Signed Raoul Dufy (lower center)
- Oil on canvas
- 13 by 32 1/4 in.
- 33 by 81.9 cm
Provenance
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sutro-Rothshild, New York
Perls Galleries, New York
Private Collection, New Mexico (acquired from the above circa 1955)
Thence by descent
Perls Galleries, New York
Private Collection, New Mexico (acquired from the above circa 1955)
Thence by descent
Literature
Maurice Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. II, Geneva, 1973, no. 876, illustrated p. 358
Condition
This work is in very good condition. The canvas as not been lined. The surface is nicely textured and the colors are bright and fresh. There are minor signs of frame abrasion to the extreme outer edges. Under UV light: 3 nailhead-sized spots of inpainting (2 to the large sail at center right and 1 to the upper left of the black and white steam ship). There is also one very thin stroke of possible inpaninting to the left of the smoke from the steamship at far left, otherwise good.
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
The zestful atmosphere of regattas and seascapes were among Dufy’s favorite subjects to depict, appearing in his oeuvre as early as 1907. The ever-changing natures of races and seas provided the artist with plentiful opportunities to experiment with movement and color. As Dora Perez-Tibi writes, “Dufy returned to this theme over and over again, expanding and transforming it. The variations arise in the structure of the paintings and the choice and arrangement of colors. A master of this technique, he made use of an increasingly free and dynamic composition, with vibrant colors exploding in a fanfare to announce the start of the race. His lines sacrifice detail in order to convey the general impression” (Dora Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, p. 158).
Les Régates is emblematic of Dufy’s depictions of the boats at Le Havre and Deauville, a series he focused on from 1925-1930. While capturing the joie de vivre of the spontaneous motion of the sea and the controlled movement of the boats through his rapid brushstrokes, Dufy simultaneously experimented with his theory of couleur-lumière. As Dora Perez-Tibi noted: “He had become aware of the need to recreate observed reality in terms of his own ‘reality,’ and now went on to elaborate his theory of ‘couleur-lumière,’ with which he experimented during these two years, and which he would apply to his entire oeuvre: 'I was spontaneously led towards what was to become my real preoccupation. I had discovered a system, whose theory was this: to follow the light of the sun is a waster of time. Light in painting is something completely different: it is a light distributed throughout the composition, a ‘couleur-lumière’” (quoted in ibid., pp. 23-4). The artist further explained: "The color captures the light that forms and animates the group as a whole. Every object or group of objects is placed within its own area of light and shade, receiving its share of reflections and being subjected to the arrangement decided by the artist" (quoted in ibid., p. 150).
Les Régates is emblematic of Dufy’s depictions of the boats at Le Havre and Deauville, a series he focused on from 1925-1930. While capturing the joie de vivre of the spontaneous motion of the sea and the controlled movement of the boats through his rapid brushstrokes, Dufy simultaneously experimented with his theory of couleur-lumière. As Dora Perez-Tibi noted: “He had become aware of the need to recreate observed reality in terms of his own ‘reality,’ and now went on to elaborate his theory of ‘couleur-lumière,’ with which he experimented during these two years, and which he would apply to his entire oeuvre: 'I was spontaneously led towards what was to become my real preoccupation. I had discovered a system, whose theory was this: to follow the light of the sun is a waster of time. Light in painting is something completely different: it is a light distributed throughout the composition, a ‘couleur-lumière’” (quoted in ibid., pp. 23-4). The artist further explained: "The color captures the light that forms and animates the group as a whole. Every object or group of objects is placed within its own area of light and shade, receiving its share of reflections and being subjected to the arrangement decided by the artist" (quoted in ibid., p. 150).