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Raoul Dufy, ‘Bunting-Decked Boats,’ circa 1946. Oil on canvas, 50 by 61cm. © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo

Raoul Dufy’s career explored in 100-work show in Seoul

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Raoul Dufy, ‘Bunting-Decked Boats,’ circa 1946. Oil on canvas, 50 by 61cm. © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo
Raoul Dufy, ‘Bunting-Decked Boats,’ circa 1946. Oil on canvas, 50 by 61cm. © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo

SEOUL, South Korea – Manifesto Expo is coordinating the exhibition Raoul Dufy: Colorful Symphony at the Hangaram Museum in the Seoul Art Center in Seoul, South Korea in partnership with the Korean producer Gaudium. The exhibition, which is on now through September 10, brings together 100 works by Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953) from the Edmond Henrard collection. The Musee d’Art Moderne Andre Malraux in Le Havre, France, and the Musee des Beaux-Arts Jules Cheret in Nice, France, have made exceptional loans to the exhibition.

Edmond Henrard has been fascinated by Raoul Dufy’s work for more than 40 years: the collection that he has built up is truly representative of the oeuvre of this key 20th-century artist. Regularly enriched with new pieces, the Henrard collection has already been exhibited in various museums in France, the United States and Japan.

Raoul Dufy, ‘The port of Le Havre,’ © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo
Raoul Dufy, ‘The port of Le Havre,’ © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo

The curator of the exhibition, Eric Blanchegorge, who is also the current director of the Musees de Troyes, explores the influence of music and fashion on the works of Raoul Dufy in the early 20th century, a vibrant period when the fields of design, art and music merged to create a total work.

Divided into several chapters, Raoul Dufy: Colorful Symphony presents the artist’s multifaceted career through paintings, drawings and watercolors inspired by his favored subjects: landscapes, horse racing, regattas and Parisian life. The exhibition also includes an important selection of textile pieces (garments and accessories) made by Dufy for figures such as the French designer Paul Poiret, who revolutionized the haute couture scene at the time, and the historic Lyon silk manufacturer Bianchini-Ferier.

Raoul Dufy, ‘The Sailors on the Coast,’ 1925. Gouache and watercolor, 48 by 64cm © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo
Raoul Dufy, ‘The Sailors on the Coast,’ 1925. Gouache and watercolor, 48 by 64cm © ADAGP. Image courtesy of Manifesto Expo

The chapter dedicated to the Grands Decors (large decorations) presents a set of 10 original lithographs engraved by Charles Sorlier, taken from the fresco La Fee Electricite (The Electricity Fairy). Dufy made the work for the Pavillon de l’Electricite et de la Lumiere as part of the 1937 International Exposition in Paris, now kept in the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris.

Manifesto Expo, which initiated the exhibition project, is assisting Gaudium in the organization and implementation of the Raoul Dufy: Colorful Symphony show.

About Manifesto Expo

Manifesto Expo is a specialized subsidiary of Manifesto, a group created in 2015 by Herve Digne and Laure Confavreux-Colliex. It coordinates the production and touring of exhibitions in France and abroad. Co-founded with Alexandre Colliex, this branch assists museum institutions and public or private collections in the international touring of their exhibition projects, from the identification of partners abroad to contractual negotiations, logistics (such as transport, insurance and crating), coordination between the different partners, installation and deinstallation, management of budgets and schedules, development strategy and curation of exhibitions. Manifesto Expo collaborates with leading museums throughout the world. It is a partner member of XPO, the Federation for exhibition designers, and of the Touring Exhibitions Organization.

Raoul Dufy