Raoul Dufy

Refugee to Ceret at the beginning of the Second World War, Raoul Dufy (Le Havre, 1877 - Forcalquier, 1953), enters in 1941 in relation with Dr. Pierre Nicolau . In his private clinic in Perpignan, he undertakes to treat the painful polyarthritis that handicaps the artist since the mid-30s. The doctor soon accommodates him for six months in his own family. This is the beginning of Dufy's Perpignan period, which will not end until 1950, when he leaves for the United States. The exhibition will bring together for the first time a very significant set of these workshops in Perpignan, and will report stays made by Dufy in Vernet-les-Bains , Boulou or, on the Spanish side, Caldes de Monbui , where the cures lead spa. To illustrate Raoul Dufy's diverse production in Perpignan, the exhibition will focus on three of his favorite themes during this period: the reinterpretation of the Masters, the representations of music and the painting of flowers. Finally, his specific activity in the field of decorative arts will be highlighted for the first time. Relying on an original private archive and drawing on numerous French and foreign collections, the Hyacinthe-Rigaud art museum aims to honor a still unknown period of one of the most aptly of the first half of the 20th century.--Hyacinthe Rigaud Perpignan.