Known for his pastoral landscapes, still-life paintings of flower bouquets, and portraits — notably of his wife, Claudine — French painter Marcel Dyf is widely regarded as one of the last of the true Impressionists. His mastery of composition and use of soft colors influenced many artists, setting the standard for 20th-century Post-Impressionism.
Dyf was born Marcel Dreyfus in 1899 in Paris. As a child, he displayed artistic talent but briefly considered a career as an engineer before becoming a professional painter at 23, influenced by the likes of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer.
In 1922, Dyf set up a studio in Arles and initially painted landscapes, capturing scenes of the surrounding countryside in oil on canvas. He produced many landscapes depicting Provence, Brittany, Normandy and locales further afield such as Venice, Morocco and Israel.
It wasn’t long before Dyf’s works caught the eye of art dealers and collectors, and he was urged to exhibit in Paris at the Salon des Artistes Français, the Salon d’Automne and the Tuileries.
In 1935, he moved from Arles to Paris and, at the outbreak of World War II, joined the French Resistance. Following the war, during the 1950s, he met 19-year-old model Claudine Godat, who — despite their 36-year age difference — became his wife, muse and subject for many of his most well-known portraits. These include Claudine Songeuse, Claudine and the Red Rose and Claudine with Flowers.
Over the course of his career, Dyf created a substantial body of work — he made landscape paintings, portraits and figurative works. He also painted frescoes in the Museon Arlaten in Arles and produced decorative pieces in the town halls of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and St-Martin-de-Crau.
Following his death in 1985, Dyf’s paintings continued to be featured in numerous exhibitions. The General Council of Bouches-du-Rhône staged a retrospective of his early works in 1995. Four years later, a show that marked what would have been his 100th birthday was held at the L’Espace Dyf in Bois-d’Arcy.
Today, Dyf’s paintings and prints are highly sought by dealers and collectors of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
Find original Marcel Dyf paintings and wall decorations on 1stDibs.
$3,740Sale Price|20% Off
H 27.56 in W 31.5 in
Still Life "Poulet & Pomegranate" 20th Century
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Liphook, GB
Still Life "Poulet & Pomegranate" 20th Century by MARCEL DYF (1899-1985) similar to $37,000 Fine large 20th century still life "Poulet & Pomegranate" oil on canvas by Marcel Dyf. E...
Canvas, Oil
$5,048Sale Price|27% Off
H 30.12 in W 34.26 in D 3.94 in
Still Life with Fruit Painting, Dyf Marcel, Oil Painting, Early XX Century
By Marcel Dyf
Located in Breganze, VI
Still life artwork, antique oil painting, Still life with fruit proposed here is an oil painting on canvas of the Twentieth Century. It also has an original Golden Frame. It is a composition with grape and fruit some vegetables and some tomatoes and some garlic, with a nice white ceramic vase nearby. Antique paintings on canvas, still life, Art Deco, signed DYF at the bottom right a French painter who was born in Paris but grew up in Normandy. DYF Marcel...
Gold Leaf
$12,239
H 36 in W 44 in D 3 in
A Still Life of Fruit, Flowers and Vases on a Table by Marcel Dyf. Oil on Canvas
By Marcel Dyf
Located in St. Albans, GB
Marcel DYF 1899 - 1985 This piece has been confirmed by Claudine Dyf This work is registered in the Marcel Dyf Archive under N° ID 5158 Picture Size: 29 x 36" (72 x 92cm) Outside F...
Oil
$8,801
H 26 in W 30 in
Nature morte aux pommes - Post Impressionist Still Life Oil -Hippolyte Petitjean
By Hippolyte Petitjean
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed still life oil on canvas circa 1920 by French post impressionist painter Hippolyte Petitjean. depicting a beautifully coloured view of a vast landscape. The piece depicts a green jug, a bowl of red apples, a brown two-handled jug and a vase of flowers, all placed on a wooden table. Several landscape paintings adorn the wall behind. Signature: Signed with cachet lower right and again verso Dimensions: Framed: 26"x30" Unframed: 18"x22" Provenance: Galerie de l'Institut - Centenary Exhibition of Hippolyte Petitjean (1955 ) - original labels verso Hippolyte Petitjean started his training in Mâcon and then became a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, where he worked in Cabanel's studio. By selling two Seurat paintings...
Canvas, Oil
$1,900
H 25.6 in W 29.93 in D 1.58 in
Still Life with Fruit, Oil on Canvas, Signed B. Jacquet, 20th Century
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This exquisite oil on canvas still life presents a classic tableau of ripe fruit — grapes, pears, apples and citrus — artfully arranged on a softly draped white cloth, with a basket ...
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
$1,250
H 21.46 in W 25.79 in
French School Early 20th Century Oil - Still Life with Tureen
Located in Corsham, GB
This vibrant modernist still life centres on a porcelain tureen, surrounded by a lively arrangement of fruits including apples, oranges, and figs. Executed with confident, clean brus...
Oil
Pommes et poires
By Georges d'Espagnat
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed with monogram lower left * The Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art contains more paintings (nine) by Georges D’Espagnat than any other nineteenth- or ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$6,500
H 28.5 in W 32.38 in
Post Impressionist Oil Painting Still Life with Fruit William Meyerowitz WPA Art
By William Meyerowitz
Located in Surfside, FL
William Meyerowitz (1887 - 1981) Oil painting on canvas Depicting a still life scene with fruit bowl, bananas, flowers and quilt. Post Impressionist oil painting. Hand signed low...
Canvas, Oil
$9,351Sale Price|20% Off
H 31 in W 36 in D 2 in
Still Life with Fruit and Lantern - American Impressionist art oil painting
By William Samuel Horton
Located in Hagley, England
This superb Impressionist still life oil on board painting is by one of the leading American Impressionism artists who painted in Europe, William Samuel Horton. Horton moved to Engla...
Oil
$995
H 20.48 in W 24.22 in
Framed Mid 20th Century Oil - Still Life with Wine and Apples
Located in Corsham, GB
Composed of a vibrant patchwork of rich, warm tones, this expressive still life composition exudes warmth and character. Indistinctly monogrammed to the lower right. Well presented i...
Oil
