Dufy, Raoul

French artist and designer Raoul Dufy is renowned for his illustrations of upper-class life, whether in books, fabrics or ceramics. His delicate brushstrokes and soft colors show the influence of the Impressionist landscapes of Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. Although close to Fauvism and Henri Matisse, his late works are distinguished by a boldness of color and line, reflecting various currents of modernism. Born on June 3, 1877 in Le Havre, Dufy attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris on a scholarship, alongside cubist Georges Braque. In 1937, he created La Fée Électricité, a mural celebrating electrical technology for that year's International Exhibition. His work for the 26th Venice Biennale earned him the Grand Prix International de peinture in 1952, a year before his death on March 23, 1953 in Forcalquier.