Jean Dufy was a French painter, and younger brother to fellow painter Raoul Dufy, known for his beautiful and fluid use of bright color. It was Raoul, in fact, who encouraged Dufy to paint when he began to show talent at the age of 14. His brother later became his teacher when he attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Le Havre. He would also study under Georges Braque, but eventually went back to work with his brother whom he consulted in the arts for the rest of his life.

The onset of World War I brought Dufy’s painting to a halt when he went to serve. However, during this time he was able to travel extensively throughout Europe and to North Africa. These travels were also often reflected in his work.

Like his brother, Jean Dufy typically painted in watercolor and gouache. His subjects were also typical Parisian street scenes, country landscapes and French city and country life. Because of a close bond as brothers and as painters, Jean’s paintings are often compared to Raoul’s in style and subject. However, a skilled authenticator will be able to tell the difference between the style and techniques used by the Dufy brothers. In many cases, Dufy would sign his work “Jean Dufy,” and this mark of authenticity would clear up any confusion between the two artists’ work.

Throughout his life, Dufy was interested in and worked in many aspects of art from set design to the decorative arts, such as tapestry and porcelain. Dufy was also an amateur jazz musician and played the guitar, and this love for music would show up in his compositions from time to time.

While some critics would try to group Dufy with the Fauve movement, he was truly more of an Expressionist or Post-Impressionist. Some of Dufy’s compositions could be interpreted as having been created with “beastly” Fauve brushstrokes, but the bulk of his oeuvre consists of pleasant and precisely painted scenes and compositions.

Dufy would spend his last days living in the countryside near the Loire River, and continued to paint nearly up until his death. He was a highly prolific painter and he left behind a catalog of colorful and lively French scenes of an era gone by. Today, his work is housed worldwide, and perhaps even in your own home. If you believe you own a work of art by Jean Dufy, contact Art Experts. We authenticate, appraise, research and provide Certificates of Authenticity (COA’s) for works by Jean Dufy.