The Kessler Family on Horseback 1931

Curator: Ah, Dufy, always a charmer. Here we have his "The Kessler Family on Horseback," held at the Tate. What strikes you first about it? Editor: It's like a fleeting memory, almost unfinished. The colors feel joyful, yet the forms are so simplified. A dream of a day at the races, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. Dufy's use of color is key; he liberates it from form. Note how the vibrant reds and oranges of the horses contrast with the cool blues and greens of the landscape. It’s pure Fauvist energy. Editor: The sketchiness almost undermines the grandeur of equestrian portraiture. Is he making a statement about class or the superficiality of appearances? Curator: Or perhaps, celebrating the simple joy of movement and light. Dufy often sought to capture fleeting moments, emotions expressed in color and line. It is a vibrant and deeply personal piece. Editor: Indeed. It leaves us with a sense of airy lightness, a moment captured in time and color. Curator: Quite so. The eye dances through the composition, light as a summer breeze.