Bouquet of flowers 1937

Raoul Dufy made this "Bouquet of Flowers" with watercolor on paper. It exemplifies Dufy’s signature style, which often captures the essence of beauty and joy in everyday life. Dufy emerged as an artist during a time of significant social and cultural change in France, including the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and the rise of industrialization. These events influenced the collective psyche of artists. His bright colors and simplified forms reflect a move away from academic painting towards a more modern and subjective expression. Dufy's work is marked by its decorative appeal, but also by its subtle challenges to traditional artistic conventions. The bouquet is not just a collection of flowers; it is a celebration of color and form, reflecting Dufy’s own effervescent spirit. Dufy's personal philosophy of art was to capture life's fleeting moments of pleasure. "What interests me," he once said, "is to render the instantaneous." The artwork stands as a testament to the enduring human need for beauty.