Raoul and Jean Dufy, brothers and painters, share this exhibit, part of a French initiative that studies the artistic relationships among family members.

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), the older and the more famous of the two brothers, introduced Jean (1888-1964) to art.

Starting in 1920, the two brothers maintained a close artistic relationship, sharing their cultural explorations while pursuing parallel careers with little in common. The exception is La Fee Electricité in 1937. Ironically, this art piece realized together marks also their rupture.

They then  followed their own artistic paths. However, sharing a common passion for colors, their distinct artwork is often compared.

The exhibit, grouping about one hundred paintings, pastels and ceramics that belong to museums and private collections from all over the world, illustrates the similarities and differences between the two painters.

Starting with the Fauvist and Cubist work from Raoul, the exhibit introduces the major themes common to the two brothers: the sea, open windows and ateliers.

Then, parallel sections show their personal evolutions. The warm, vibrant palette of the circus world that Jean painted echoes the music evoked by Raoul’s work. The horse races and the paddocks of Raoul face the groomed equestrian alleys that Jean painted. Finally, the themes of Paris and Nice common to the two brothers in their late life show a similar evolution toward a graphic style initiated by Raoul and revisited by Jean.

The exhibit Raoul et Jean Dufy Complicité et rupture is open from April 14 to June 26, 2011, at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris.

Curators:
Marianne Mathieu, art historian
Charles Sala, professor at l'université de Paris X

Jacques Bailly, author of the "Catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre de Jean Dufy"