The Beach at Sainte-Adresse 1906

Raoul Dufy painted "The Beach at Sainte-Adresse" with oil on canvas, and it feels like the paint is joyfully scrubbed onto the surface. The colours are bright but somehow muted, like a sunny day seen through slightly foggy glasses. Look at the way Dufy renders the figures on the beach; they’re not really there, but they are – dabs and dashes of colour that suggest form without defining it. I love how he lets the brushstrokes be visible, it's like he’s inviting us into his process. This is all about a feeling, and like Matisse, Dufy uses color to evoke emotion. You could say Dufy is like a more playful Matisse. Both artists shared a love of colour and a tendency toward simplification, but Dufy’s work often has a lightness and decorative quality that sets him apart. His paintings remind us that art is about seeing and feeling, rather than just recording what's there.