On large, seemingly rapidly painted planes of colour Dufy has used a delicate brush to paint houses, trees, and roads so that they appear like calligraphy against a coloured backdrop. Prompted by the fashion designer and art collector Paul Poiret, Dufy had spent much of his time from 1910 onwards on textile designs. As a designer he would design and carve the printing blocks for the patterns himself.
In principle, the same method of printing has been used in this image. Dufy was a close friend of Friesz and Braque, and like them he was influenced by Fauvism and Cubism before finding his own decorative style. Dufy is an excellent representative of the era’s tendency to transcend media: In addition to painting and design his body of work includes ceramics, book illustrations, set designs, and weaving.
