Jean Dufy “Les Cavaliers au Bois” 1929

Jean Dufy was born in Le Havre into a very talented artistic family. Two of his brothers became musicians while his brother Raoul became a famous painter like Jean. Initially, Jean Dufy did not want to engage in painting, but he changed his mind abruptly after a visit to an exhibition of the “Cercle de l’Art Moderne” in Le Havre in 1906, where the painting “Fenetre ouverte à Collioure” by Henri Matisse inspired him to start his own career in painting. As early as 1907, he sold his first works of art at the “Cercle de l’Art Moderne” and moved to Paris after his military service in 1912. There he frequented the artistic circles in Montmartre and was acquainted with Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso and André Derain, among others. In 1914 he presented his works very successfully in the gallery “Berthe Weill”.

Jean Dufy was active not only as a painter but also as a designer and published a variety of fabric and porcelain designs. Often Dufy immortalized in his works his great love, the city of Paris. But also scenes of riders or from the circus are very famous. He also dedicated an entire cycle to orchestras and musicians. His pictorial language is characterized above all by a cheerful, luminous colorfulness.

Our picture “Les Cavaliers au Bois” was painted in 1929. Dufy is a master at depicting the movement of horses through the dynamics of his brushstrokes. Also by the briskly applied forest in the background of the scene, the impression of fast riding arises. The two figures in the front serve as a resting point in the painting, catching the eye of the audience. This work is a masterful composition by the artist at the peak of his creativity and shows his skill in an impressive way.

Jean Dufy’s works are exhibited in the following museums, among others: Albertina Museum, Vienna; Art Institute of Chicago; Harvard University Art Museum; Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidu in Paris; MOMA New York City, Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.