
Public Domain
by Raoul Dufy
Raoul Dufy rendered this portrait of his sister Suzanne in 1904, one year before he discovered Fauvism. The small canvas, measuring just 33 by 46 centimeters, shows his Impressionist-influenced approach before Henri Matisse's work transformed his artistic direction at the 1905 Salon des Indépendants.
Dufy grew up in Le Havre, where he studied at the municipal art school before moving to Paris on a scholarship in 1900. In his early years, he looked to the Impressionists for inspiration, developing skills in color and light that would serve him throughout his career. This intimate family portrait demonstrates his technical accomplishment before stylistic experimentation took over.
After seeing Matisse's "Luxe, Calme et Volupté" in 1905, Dufy devoted himself to Fauvism with its bold colors and expressive brushwork. He also drew inspiration from Paul Cézanne and André Derain. Though he later developed his own distinctive style of bright, decorative paintings, his Fauvist period marked a crucial turning point.
The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg holds this early portrait. Dufy went on to become a versatile artist working in painting, textile design, and ceramics, bringing his colorful vision to multiple media. He died in 1953 after winning the main painting prize at the Venice Biennale the previous year.

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State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

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State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

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