Jean Dufy Biography
Jean Dufy (Le Havre, 1888 - Boussay, 1964) was a French painter known for his depictions of Parisian society, country scenes, circuses, horse races, stages and orchestras. As a young man he had worked aboard the ocean liner La Savoie as a secretary (his depictions of the sea and ports are among his best creations).
His older brother, Raoul, was already a famous artist working in Paris while Jean attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre. In 1912 Jean followed his brother to the capital, where Raoul introduced him to his circle of post-impressionist friends, including Derain, Braque and Picasso. In 1914 Dufy held his first exhibition, but it was only after the First World War, while he was living in Montmartre, that the characteristic liveliness of his palette and brushwork emerged, with its icons of depictions of musicians and orchestras.
His porcelain design, “Châteaux de France,” won a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1925. The artist spent a long period making decorations for the House of Haviland, which specialized in porcelain production in Limoges . Dufy returned to his native Normandy for the rest of his life and spent periods in the south of France.
