Pier & Promenade, Nice

Raoul Dufy's lively watercolours capture the essence and energy of France during the 20th century. Born in LeHavre, he began studying at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts. After being awarded a scholarship he moved to Paris in the 1900's. Dufy was struck by the dazzling colours of Matisse, a Fauvist group artist in 1905, which had a radical influence on his work. Dufy immediately began to incorporate the lively brush strokes and brilliant colour of Fauvism into his art. His travels around the Mediterranean provided inspiration for many of the artist's best known paintings.