Raoul Dufy was born in Le Havre in 1877. He had to work at the age of fourteenyears old. At the same time he studied evening classes at the municipal Schoolof the Fine Art where he became friend with Othon Friesz.

In 1900, Raoul Dufy got a scholarship which allowed him to study to the Artcollege of Paris. The artist painted, in the style of the impressionists and thepostimpressionists, beaches and landscapes, bare and sights of Paris and of theSouth of France as well. He participated in various collective exhibitions(Exhibition of the Independents, Salon of Autumn). He decided in this time topaint no more what he saw but "his reality"; he simplified forms, abolishedclassic rules of the perspective.

His first personal exhibition was organized in 1906. He adhered then to theFauvism. The artist made variations on his big subjects: beaches and scenes inNormandy, dressed streets, bunches of flowers, portraits. After a stay atGeorges Braque studio, Dufy worked the construction of his paintings followingthe rules of Cezanne’s construction and gets closer to the Cubism.

From 1911, and until 1930, Raoul Dufy drew motives for fabrics (dressmakerPaul Poiret, silk trades Bianchini-Atuyer-Férier). His own style was elaboratedin 1919. He painted essentially with watercolor, used vividness colors, loosenedhis drawing which became full of curved lines and arabesques; there werehorse-races, ports, rowers, still beaches.

In 1926, Dufy decided to separate the color from the shape, and divided hiscanvases into three strips, vertical or horizontal, each one having its tone. Hestill investigated the subjects which were dear to him and painted a set of bareand of studios. Afterward, Raoul Dufy made several murals.

In 1944, the artist decided to reduce his palette to a "tone painting" and hecreated a set of compositions according to this principle. He took refuge inPerpignan during the Second World War, painted landscapes there.

From 1950 till 1952, Raoul Dufy lived in the United States, continuing topaint new landscapes. Painter, the artist practiced regularly the drawing, theetching, the wood engraving, made lithographs, illustrated books (Apollinaire,Mallarmé, etc.). He received the First price of La Biennale de Venise in 1952.His work is recognized then all over the world. On one year later, Raoul Dufydied in Fortcalquier (France).