April 6th 2025 | DAF

Courses at Deauville | Raoul Dufy, 1941

Idyllic day at the race tracks. A nice crisp day in the French countryside. It’s sunny enough that an umbrella is needed to protect you from the sun, but not overbearingly hot. The people are pacing the ground with merriment, and the horses are preparing for their moment to shine. All of this is a guess, but it sounds nice.

I have always loved the Dufy brother’s illustrative and interpretative approach to art. The people are often displayed as simple outlines, but somehow this choice is conveyed very clearly so as to no appear incomplete or sloppy. He adds variance to his outlined people by occasionally switching out his standard black brushstrokes with some bright sky blue ones. Some people stand unfilled and hollow against the grass while others are nearly entirely encompassed by a large sweep stroke of paint. Occasionally, he pays more mind and will allow each boot to have its other sweep of the brush and some articles of clothing to be filled with a distinct color. It is a spectrum of detail amongst the entire crowd depicted in the scene, but each person is clearly done with intention and add something to the work. He has really captured the art of less is more.