Anglers 1908

Raoul Dufy's "Anglers" is an oil on canvas painted with what looks like a light touch, almost like watercolor. The thin paint application and bright, almost arbitrary colors create a scene that feels both real and dreamlike. The orange pier is a stage, and the tall fishing rods are like architectural columns framing the action. I imagine Dufy, outside en plein air, lightly sketching the scene, trying to capture the fleeting quality of light on water and the relaxed postures of these figures. The painting feels quick, intuitive, and filled with a sense of joy—the blue of the water contrasting with the orange ground. There’s a kind of freedom in his rendering of form; the figures are suggested, not described in detail. Dufy shares with other painters an interest in capturing the sensations of modern life, but his approach is uniquely his own. What a life, just to capture these small moments, in his own vision of it.