Theatre in Martigues 1903

Raoul Dufy captured this scene of an audience in the south of France, using oil on canvas. The painting feels warm and intimate, dominated by earthy browns and oranges. It is as though Dufy has captured a fleeting moment; the audience in anticipation, lost in their own worlds before the curtain rises. I imagine Dufy in the theatre. Perhaps he was thinking about what it means to be both a spectator and a creator. He uses loose brushstrokes, almost scribbles, that build up the scene, a style he's known for, and he's more interested in capturing the feeling of the theatre than in depicting every detail. Look at the way he paints the faces – they are just suggestions of features, yet they convey so much character. Painters like Dufy remind me that painting isn't about perfection. It's about trying to capture something real, something felt. It's a conversation with the world, with other artists, and with oneself.