The Basket 1926

Raoul Dufy made this painting, called 'The Basket', using oil on canvas. It's all about color and quick marks—like he's trying to catch the light. I imagine Dufy, standing in front of the canvas, thinking, 'How can I make this thing sing?' He must have worked fast, using thin paint, and the marks are like shorthand. Look at how he suggests the woven texture of the basket! It’s full of energy. He simplifies everything, reducing the pears to these jewel-like shapes of green. Then there’s the cloth, just a few strokes suggesting folds. Painters are always looking at each other's work, you know, having a conversation across time. Dufy's work reminds me a little of Matisse, with its joyful colors. Ultimately, painting lets us explore the world in our own way, and it embraces ambiguity and uncertainty.