Known for his pastoral landscapes, still-life paintings of flower bouquets, and portraits — notably of his wife, Claudine — French painter Marcel Dyf is widely regarded as one of the last of the true Impressionists. His mastery of composition and use of soft colors influenced many artists, setting the standard for 20th-century Post-Impressionism.
Dyf was born Marcel Dreyfus in 1899 in Paris. As a child, he displayed artistic talent but briefly considered a career as an engineer before becoming a professional painter at 23, influenced by the likes of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer.
In 1922, Dyf set up a studio in Arles and initially painted landscapes, capturing scenes of the surrounding countryside in oil on canvas. He produced many landscapes depicting Provence, Brittany, Normandy and locales further afield such as Venice, Morocco and Israel.
It wasn’t long before Dyf’s works caught the eye of art dealers and collectors, and he was urged to exhibit in Paris at the Salon des Artistes Français, the Salon d’Automne and the Tuileries.
In 1935, he moved from Arles to Paris and, at the outbreak of World War II, joined the French Resistance. Following the war, during the 1950s, he met 19-year-old model Claudine Godat, who — despite their 36-year age difference — became his wife, muse and subject for many of his most well-known portraits. These include Claudine Songeuse, Claudine and the Red Rose and Claudine with Flowers.
Over the course of his career, Dyf created a substantial body of work — he made landscape paintings, portraits and figurative works. He also painted frescoes in the Museon Arlaten in Arles and produced decorative pieces in the town halls of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and St-Martin-de-Crau.
Following his death in 1985, Dyf’s paintings continued to be featured in numerous exhibitions. The General Council of Bouches-du-Rhône staged a retrospective of his early works in 1995. Four years later, a show that marked what would have been his 100th birthday was held at the L’Espace Dyf in Bois-d’Arcy.
Today, Dyf’s paintings and prints are highly sought by dealers and collectors of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
Find original Marcel Dyf paintings and wall decorations on 1stDibs.
$21,072
Mauldre au debut de Printemps - Post Impressionist Landscape Oil by Marcel Dyf
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas riverscape circa 1950 by French post impressionist painter Marcel Dyf. The work depicts the Mauldre - a long river in north-central France which is an estuary fo...
Canvas, Oil
"Claudine" Marcel Dyf, Impressionist Painter, Female Portrait, French, Interior
By Marcel Dyf
Located in New York, NY
Marcel Dyf Claudine Signed lower right Oil on canvas 25 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches Marcel Dyf, born Marcel Dreyfus in Paris, was a French painter whose work carried forward the traditions...
Canvas, Oil
"Le Bassin des Tuileries a Paris" Marcel Dyf, Impressionist Garden Fountain
By Marcel Dyf
Located in New York, NY
Marcel Dyf Le Bassin des Tuileries a Paris, 1950 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 18 x 21 1/2 inches Provenance Private Collection, Louisville, Kentucky Marcel Dyf, born Marcel Dr...
Canvas, Oil
"The Golf" Chiberta in Southern France Post-Impressionist Oil on Canvas Painting
By Marcel Dyf
Located in New York, NY
Marcel Dyf was mostly known for his effortless way to captures the times of the people. Executing most works on-site, he truly was able to absorb the energy and the day, movement of ...
Canvas, Oil
$9,013
A Still Life of Fruit, Flowers and Vases on a Table by Marcel Dyf. Oil on Canvas
By Marcel Dyf
Located in St. Albans, GB
Marcel DYF 1899 - 1985 This piece has been confirmed by Claudine Dyf This work is registered in the Marcel Dyf Archive under N° ID 5158 Picture Size: 29 x 36" (72 x 92cm) Outside F...
Oil
Champ de ble - Post Impressionist Landscape Oil by Marcel Dyf
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas landscape circa 1960 by French post impressionist painter Marcel Dyf. The work depicts a golden wheat field, contrasted against dark hills in the distance. Sign...
Canvas, Oil
$32,628
Pleine Floraison
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 28.75 x 23.75 inches Framed size: 37 x 32 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
Le Moisson - Provence - Post Impressionist Landscape Oil by Marcel Dyf
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas figures in landscape circa 1950 by French post impressionist painter Marcel Dyf. The work depicts doing a late summer harvest in Provence, France. Signature: Si...
Canvas, Oil
"Roses and Anthemis" French 20th century still life oil on canvas
By Marcel Dyf
Located in New York, NY
Signed lower right: Dyf Provenance Alexander Kahan Fine Art, NY Private collection, NY Literature This painting is included in the Marcel Dyf Archives under no ID 353. Marcel Dyf ...
Canvas, Oil
L'Oise a Lille Adam (Ile De France)
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 18 x 21.5 inches Framed: 26.5 x 30.25 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
$27,733
Cale Du Logeo
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 15 x 18.5 inches Framed size: 20 x 23 inches Signed lower left
Canvas, Oil
Un Bouqet D'Ete Dans Un Vase En Verre
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas, Canvas size: 21.75 x 18 inches Framed size: 29 x 25.5 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
$24,097
Pourquoi partir? - Post Impressionist Still Life Landscape Oil by Marcel Dyf
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas still life in landscape circa 1980 by sought after French post impressionist painter Marcel Dyf. The work depicts a view of a harbour from beyond the open green ...
Canvas, Oil
$42,008
Voiliers
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 24 x 28.5 inches Framed size: 33 x 38.5 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
Claudine in the Forest
By Marcel Dyf
Located in New York, NY
In our painting of Claudine, Dyf returns to one of his favorite genres, and with most likely his favorite model. Realized with dramatic suggestive strokes of thick paint, Claudine is...
Canvas, Oil
Tuileries' Garden, facing Place de la Concorde, Paris
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Signed lower right: “DYF” This item is in our New York City warehouse and can be viewed by appointment.
Canvas, Oil
Estuary landscape, possibly Morbihan, France.
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Douglas, Isle of Man
Marcel Dyf 1899-1985, was a French, still life, portrait and landscape painter in the post impressionist manner. This picture is a monochrome watercolor and wash and is a typical sce...
Paper, Watercolor
$28,500
A Look at the Menu
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Sheffield, MA
Marcel Dyf French, 1899-1985 A Look at the Menu Oil on Canvas 21 ¼ by 25 ½ in, w/ frame 27 ¾ by 32 ¼ in Signed lower right Marcel Dyf (Marcel Dreyfus) was born in Paris on October ...
Oil
MARCEL DYF Femme à sa Toilette, Modern Oil Painting, Framed, Mid-20th Century
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
H 30.25 x W 26.75 x D 2 in. (framed) Signed lower right: “DYF” Dyf Archives ID No. 2063 Provenance Christie’s East, New York, Modern Paintings, Drawings & Sculptures, November 10, 1992, lot 60 as Nu à sa toilette. Private collection Private collection, New York (Purchased from above) This item is in our New York City warehouse and can be viewed by appointment. Marcel Dyf’s 1950 oil painting...
Canvas, Oil
Marcel Dyf Leccon De Musique
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Dallas, TX
Marcel Dyf (French, 1899-1985) Leçon de musique; Music Lesson Circa 1965, Oil on canvas Dimensions: 29 x 24 inches (73.0 x 61.0 cm) Framed: 36 x 31 Inches Signed lower right: Dyf T...
Paint
$25,762
Bouquet De Fleurs
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 25.5 x 21.25 inches Framed size: 33.5 x 29.25 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
la Siene, Bougival Impressionist Landscape France, Figures, Boats Lakeside water
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed size: 33" x 38" La Seine, Bougival is a luminous and leisurely riverside scene, capturing the charm and quiet vitality of life along the Seine. The composition draws the viewe...
Canvas, Oil
Marcel Dyf “Place De la Concorde”
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Dallas, TX
Marcel Dyf French, 1899-1985 “Place de La Concorde” , 1948 Signed Dyf and dated 1948 Paris (lr) Oil on canvas Canvas: 29 x 39.75 Inches (73.6 x 99 cm) Framed: 35 x 45.25 Inches ...
Paint
Cannes et le vieux port - Post Impressionist Oil, Landscape by Marcel Dyf
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed figures in landscape oil on canvas circa 1940 by sought after French post impressionist painter Marcel Dyf. The piece depicts people enjoying a sunny winter's day at the port ...
Canvas, Oil
Baigneuses, Morbihan
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 21.5 x 25.5 inches Framed size: 31 x 36 inches
Canvas, Oil
Chàteauneuf-Sur-Cher
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Belgravia, London, London
Oil on canvas Canvas size: 18.25 x 21.5 inches Framed size: 26 x 29.5 inches Signed lower right
Canvas, Oil
$14,400Sale Price|20% Off
"The Gypsy" Pensive Girl Sitting in a Field Oil on Canvas Impressionist Painting
By Marcel Dyf
Located in New York, NY
Marcel Dyf was mostly known for his effortless way to captures the times of the people. Executing most works on-site, he truly was able to absorb the energy and the day, movement of ...
Canvas, Oil
Djeuner Champtre
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Sheffield, MA
Marcel Dyf French, 1899-1985 Djeuner Champtre Oil on canvas 23 ½ by 28 ¾ in. W/frame 31 ½ by 36 ¾ in. Signed lower left Marcel Dyf (Marcel Dreyfus) was born in Paris on October 7,...
Oil
Marcel Dyf Fille Se Coiffant 1957
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Dallas, TX
MARCEL DYF (FRENCH 1899-1985) Fille se coiffant, 1957 This delicate yet strong young woman of modest means combs her hair semi nude sitting in a chair in her bedroom gazing at a fl...
Paint
Dahlias & Tulips Still Life Impressionist Painting of red, orange, pink flowers
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed Size: 38" x 33" Dahlias & Tulips by Marcel Dyf is an exuberant still life that celebrates the vitality and richness of nature through colour and texture. At the heart of t...
Oil, Canvas
Golden Hues of the Provence Impressionist Country Landscape painting of France
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed size: 25.5" x 29" The Golden Hues of Provence by Marcel Dyf immerses viewers in the sun-drenched countryside of southern France, likely painted en plein air in the region Dyf...
Canvas, Oil
Summer Afternoon Impressionist Provence Landscape painting, figures, water, boat
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed size: 33" x 38" Summer Afternoon by Marcel Dyf captures a tranquil riverside or coastal village in the south of France bathed in soft light, with the relaxed rhythms of summe...
Canvas, Oil
Paysans devant le village - Post Impressionist Landscape Oil by Marcel Dyf
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas figures in landscape circa 1950 by French post impressionist painter Marcel Dyf. The work depicts workers tending to a field beside a rural village. Signature: ...
Canvas, Oil
Still Life "Poulet & Pomegranate" 20th Century
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Liphook, GB
Still Life "Poulet & Pomegranate" 20th Century by MARCEL DYF (1899-1985) similar to $37,000 Fine large 20th century still life "Poulet & Pomegranate" oil on canvas by Marcel Dyf. E...
Canvas, Oil