Born June 3, 1877, in Le Havre; died Mar. 23, 1953, in Forcalquier, Provence. French painter, graphic artist, and stage designer.

Dufy studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1900 to 1901. Influenced at first by impressionism, he worked in the fauvist style from 1905 to 1908. His art reflects a deeply subjective perception of the world, typical of most 20th-century Western European art. Seeking to capture the cheerful and festive side of life in his paintings and watercolors, Dufy depicted horse races, regattas, and concerts. His art is distinguished by a use of light washes of color and a sketchiness of design. In many of his paintings colored areas are not bound by contoured lines; this deprives the forms of a sense of plastic unity. Dufy also illustrated books and designed fabrics, tapestries, and decorative panels. He was also a ceramist.