Deauville is a French coastal town that has been a popular travel destination since the 1800s. The resort town is home to a grand casino, golf courses, and—as depicted here by Raoul Dufy—horse races. This bright scene shows the horses being paraded by their owners and jockeys before the race, with spectators gathered in clumps to observe the racers and better inform their bets. Dufy was fascinated with horse racing and made it a regular subject of his art from as early as 1913. The fascination arose in the artist after a friend encouraged him to go to the races to observe the variety of fashion present in the spectators. Rather than get caught up with the crowd, however, Dufy grew enamored with the elegant horses and the brightly-clothed jockeys instead. This magnificent original watercolor and gouache painting is excellently framed and is signed and titled by the artist on the front and back. Provenance - Wildenstein & Co., Inc., New York. Sale: Galerie Koller, Zurich, May 13 - 14, 1982, lot 5518.Galerie Felix Vercel, Paris (by 1985). Acquired from the above by the previous owner in February 1987. Literature F. Guillon-Laffaille, Catalogue raisonné des aquarelles et gouaches de Raoul Dufy, Supplement, online catalogue, no. AS 0859 (illustrated).
