Marcel Dyf was born in Paris, October 7, 1899. Over a long and fruitful period, he established himself among the most gifted and original successors to the Impressionists. Like Cézanne and Pissarro, Dyf accomplished through light, color and values, not only the warmth and power of his subject matter, but a creation linking in perfect harmony, nature itself.

Dyf said of himself: “Art is my path to knowledge, my passage to pleasure and a veil for discovering my life and myself.” A man of vivid personality, he has enriched and enlivened the arts with the strength of his inherent vitality and his unbounded enthusiasm. His varied subjects are clearly composed, freshly colored and combined with a superb technique which abandons his classical training, while remaining utterly faithful to his ideals.

Following in the footsteps of the great plein air painters Monet and Renoir, Dyf’s style and atmosphere are entirely individualistic, dramatically emphasized by forceful yet fluid brushstrokes that suggest the presence and movement of nature.

At the age of twenty-three, when he emerged from his apprenticeships and devoted himself entirely to painting, his rise to prominence was rapid. Dyf soon became known around the world. Among his most successful exhibitions were those as the famous house of Petrides in Paris from 1949 to 1953. He was greatly honored in 1950 by being asked to exhibit in the national display at the Carnegie Institute.

In the midst of his blossoming career, Dyf met and married Claudine, a young and beautiful red head whose image became the focus of his attention and ultimately his trademark. He painted her enchanting beauty as devotedly as did Renoir his beloved model, portraying her graceful maturation over the years. His adoration of Claudine has immortalized his great love for her.

Master artists that influenced and inspired Dyf include: Rembrandt, Mozart, Tiepolo and author / philosopher P. Valery. Dyf wrote, “There is no end to the number of those whose feet I would like to have kissed for the richness they have given me and which I have modestly tried to germinate. Yet there is a phrase that I repeat to myself every night: “Tomorrow will give birth to the masterpiece.” That was his intent. That was his gift.

Museums:

• Smith College Museum of Art,North Hampton, MA; Musee Arlaten

Bibliography:

• E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs;
• Dictionnaire des Petits Maitres de la Peinture;
• Dyf by Michel Gay; Galleries, 19th and 20th Century Masters;
• Marcel Dyf, Frost and Reed Galleries