RAOUL DUFY | Les Régates sous la pluie

Sale: Ader-Picard-Tajan, Paris, 18th November 1989, lot 108
Private Collection, Europe (purchased at the above sale; sale: Christie's, New York, 9th November 2000, lot 234)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Geneva, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Raoul Dufy, 1952, no. 58, illustrated in the catalogue
Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glypotek, Raoul Dufy, Malerier, Akvareller og Tegninger, 1953, no. 31
Honfleur, Hôtel de Ville, Hommage à Raoul Dufy, 1954, no. 36

Maurice Laffaille & Fanny Guillon-Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre peint, Supplément, Paris, 1985, no. 1911, illustrated p. 80

The canvas is strip lined. Examination under UV light reveals a thick varnish and minor spots of retouching to the lower centre of the right edge, intermittent spots on and close to the left edge and small spots above the centre of the lower edge. There is are fine lines of stable craquelure to the sky and a faint stretcher bar mark to the centre. There is minor frame abrasion to all four edges, with associated very minor losses to the pigment, which are not visible when framed. There is a fine line of pigment loss (approx. 3cm) to the extreme lower right corner. This work is in overall 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. 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."

Les Régates sous la pluie is a wonderful example of Raoul Dufy’s distinctive style, depicting regatta boats returning to port after the day’s joyful festivities. Dufy’s bold palette and gestural brushwork are indebted to the movement of Fauvism but his style is refreshingly unique due to the artist’s predilection for line drawing, which lends an illustration-like quality to his work. Boat races were a favourite theme in Dufy’s œuvre from as early as 1907, and he continued to draw inspiration from them throughout his career. While regatta scenes enabled Dufy to evoke the jubilance of these seaside occasions, it importantly gave him the opportunity to relish the pursuit of capturing the scintillating effects of light and colour on water. In Les Régates sous la pluie, the sea is largely represented by a sweeping turquoise, yet the depth and ever-changing nature of the sea is evoked by different hues of blue, maroon, purple and white. Indeed, the transient sky, equally in a state of flux, is perfectly encapsulated by the rapid deft strokes of blue and grey which denote the moving clouds across the canvas. The present work has a playful character, enhanced by the spacious composition, which proudly displays the billowing crescent sails of the boats. Moreover, Les Régates sous la pluie exhibits Dufy’s effective approach to perspective and the illusion of space by making the viewer assume the position of spectator on the protruding pier: ‘He conceived his set as a window which allows a view from above, increasing the size of the stage and enabling the painter to extend his vision across the expanse of sea… allowing his imagination free reign, he enlivens the foreground’ (Dora-Perez-Tibi, Dufy, London, 1989, pp. 124-25). Dufy’s audacious painterly style creates a genuine sensation of pulsing waves and achieves a relatable reality and a feeling of fantastical charm.