Deauville

Nautical themes were among Dufy’s favorite subjects. The joyful and dynamic atmosphere of the races and the bystanders presented Dufy with ample opportunities to experiment with movement and color. The present painting from 1924 features a colorful array of maritime flags hanging from the rafters of an open-air pavilion along the Deauville seaside. Deauville was internationally renowned as a glamorous space, often called the Parisian Riviera. It had a racetrack, casino, and Coco Chanel’s first shop outside of Paris. It was a favorite retreat for Dufy, where he would observe the pastimes of the French upper class, enjoying walks in lively harbors, boating festivals and the permanent distraction of leisure boats.
In this depiction of Deauville, Dufy captures the seaside as seen through the lens of the upper class spectators. We see a lively cluster of well-dressed men captivated by the regatta taking place out in the water before them. Their yellow and green hats stand out among the off-white linen suits they wear. This was not the first time Dufy explored this perspective, in fact he had painted a few very similar scenes almost 20 years prior, during his fauve years in 1906 (Laffaille, vol. I, nos. 112 and 113). This return to earlier subjects from his youth was not uncommon for Dufy, as seen in another set of depictions of Bastille Day celebrations which he explored both in 1906 and later in 1950. “My youth was cradled by music and the sea” (quoted in D. Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, p. 12).