The Saint Gervais Church 1904

Raoul Dufy painted 'The Saint Gervais Church' with oil on canvas, using a technique that emphasizes the physical properties of the paint itself. Dufy’s brushstrokes are direct and visible. You can see how he loaded the brush and applied it to the canvas, almost like a form of Impressionist bricklaying. This process imbues the work with a sense of immediacy, as though capturing a fleeting moment in time. The paint is not blended to create smooth surfaces, but rather exists as a collection of individual touches, each contributing to the overall texture and vibrancy of the scene. The material handling speaks to the larger Impressionist project of portraying modern life, and the experience of observing it. Dufy's method suggests a rapid, efficient approach – capturing the essence of the church without laboring over every detail. Ultimately, Dufy’s painting celebrates the act of seeing and the straightforward application of the paint, reminding us of the connection between the artist's hand and the final image.