Pretty young girl sorting fruit, portrait 28 3/4 x 23 5/8 oil - MCM Modern

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Marcel Dyf
Pretty young girl sorting fruit, portrait 28 3/4 x 23 5/8 oil - MCM Modern
1967

About the Item

Claudine with Fruit, Portraits of Marcel Dyf's young wife are some of the most sought after of all the Dyf oils. This painting is of Claudine and is of the highest quality work of his. Mid-century modern portrait of a pretty young girl, Claudine, holding a yellow apple signed Dyf. Soft pastel colors, blue tablecloth with red cherries, plums, red apples are in a bowl with a clear glass of yellow daisies beside it. . Marcel Dyf stamp on back and dated 1967. Marcel Dyf was born in Paris on October 7, 1899. His birth name was actually Marcel Dreyfus. As a youth, Dyf was influenced by the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements observed in Paris and Normandy during time spent on holiday. In 1922, the artist-to-be moved to Arles to pursue artistic endeavors and kept a studio there until 1942. There, Dyf was challenged by a new range of colors, light and landscapes and images used in work at the time. In Arles, Dyf was commissioned to paint large historical and decorative works, mostly frescoes in the town halls of Saint Martin-de-Crau and Les Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer, in Arles, in the Museon Arlaten and in the dining hall of the College Ampere. Dyf also designed windows for the Church of Saint Louis in Marseille during this time. In 1935, Dyf moved to Paris, working at a Left Bank studio until the city 's 1940 invasion. Dyf entered the Resistance in Correze and after the Liberation in 1945, he set up studio in Saint Paul-de-Vence, dividing his time between Paris and the south of France. Galleries in Cannes, Nice, Marseille and Strasbourg sold his paintings; while in Paris, Dyf exhibited at the Salon d'Automne, the Salon des Tuileries and the Salon des Artistes Francais. In the early 1950's, Dyf worked in Paris during winter and summered in Cannes, where he set up a studio-gallery, establishing a regular following among American visitors to the Riviera. During the summer of 1954, artist Marcel Dyf met model and soon-to-be "artist muse", Claudine Godat. At age 19, Claudine was some thirty-six years younger than Dyf, and striking in all aspects. Godat proved to be the catalyst in Dyf's life, witnessing the journey in the artist's oeuvre to maturation. On numerous occasions, Dyf provided a glimpse into the personal, everyday activities of the special relationship he shared with his wife . In 1956, the couple married, buying a 16th century hunting lodge located at Bois d'Arcy, close to Versailles. Although this location proved to be their primary residence, the couple wintered in Provence (staying in Saint-Remy or the small village of Eygalieres). Provence assisted Dyf in offering him such a diverse group of subject themes: olive trees, cane windbreaks and the grey-white crags of the Alpilles. The artist's love of this area and Claudine lasted his entire life. Claudine insisted upon visiting Brittany in 1960. Enchanted by the remoteness and untamed beauty of the region, Dyf envisioned great potential for new paintings. During his career, Dyf found the opportunity to spend autumn at home near Versailles; early spring in Provence. In May, the couple arrived in Brittany, spending the summer in a house he purchased opposite the church in a village named Arzon. By the end of his life, Dyf divided his time between Versailles, Provence and Brittany. He also traveled to England, Holland, Morocco, Venice, and the United States. Artist Marcel Dyf died in 1985.

Creator:
Marcel Dyf (1899-1985, French)
Creation Year:
1967
Dimensions:
Height: 38 in (96.52 cm)Width: 33 in (83.82 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
Movement & Style:
Modern
Period:
1960-1969
Condition:
This painting was purchased in 1967 from the Frost and Reed gallery in London and hung in the owners Park Ave home since then.
Gallery Location:
Dallas, TX
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU30021623603