Window with coloured glasses 1906

Raoul Dufy made this painting, Window with Coloured Glasses, by layering swathes of oil paint to create a mosaic of colour. His approach embodies a process of playful construction, turning the act of painting into a joyful dance of hues. The texture here feels almost casual, with colours laid down in confident strokes, some areas thin and translucent, others thicker, hinting at the artist’s hand. Look at the bottom left, where the leaves are defined. The way the greens, blues and browns play off each other creates the impression of a solid form, but one that flickers between presence and absence, solidity and light. Dufy reminds me of Matisse, both in his approach to colour and in his ability to capture a sense of light, movement, and joy. Ultimately, this piece is about how we see, inviting us to embrace the beauty of impermanence and the pleasure of pure, unadulterated colour.