Jean Dufy

Honfleur – The Artists – Dufy, Jean

This page forms part of a series of pages dedicated to the many artists who worked in Honfleur. A full list of all the artists with a link to their works can be found at the bottom of this page.

Jean Dufy
Jean Dufy

Movement(s): Cubism, Fauvism, Impressionism, Modernism

Jean Dufy was born in Le Havre, France on March 12, 1888 into a large family. His older brother was the well-known painter Raoul Dufy, who became a mentor throughout Jean’s career. Jean Dufy had received formal education at the “Ecole Primaire Superieure du Havre“.

Upon completing his schooling at age 16, Dufy took a job as an itinerant clerk with a French overseas import company, and later as a secretary on the transatlantic liner La Savole which traveled between Le Havre and New York City.

In 1906 Dufy visited an exhibition put on by the “Cercle de l’Art Moderne” in Le Havre, where he discovered the work of Picasso, Derain, with whom become friends years later, and Matisse, whose painting “Fenêtre ouverte à Coillourea” urged him to decide to pursue a career as a painter. In January 1914 his watercolours were presented at the Galerie Berthe Weill.

Shortly after his first exhibition, Dufy was drafted into World War I as a horse soldier. After serving in the military for two years, in 1912 the young artist moved to Paris and settle in Montmartre to participate in the Parisian art scene.

In 1920 he returned to Paris and settled in the artist quarter Montmartre, next door to Georges Braque. Braque, a friend of his brother Raoul Dufy, encouraged him to experiment with the Cubist style. Another of Raoul’s friends, Othon Friesz, exposed him to the Fauve movement. He also spent time there with Picasso, Apollinaire, and Derain, among others.

Two months after the death of his wife, Jean Dufy died on May 12, 1964, in La Boissiere in the village of Boussay.

Click here to read Jean Dufy’s full bio on Wikipedia.

NOTE: Click on any image below for a bigger version (no new window will open).

NOTE: A black box like this one, means that there is an explanation text about today’s situation of the painting above it.
NOTE: Click on this photo icon anywhere below a painting to see a photo of what the area looks like today.

NOTE: A blue box like this one, means there is an explanation or a note.

1924 - Jean Dufy - The lieutenancy in Honfleur
1924 – Jean Dufy – The lieutenancy in Honfleur

TODAY: The Lieutenancy still exists today and is one of the most visible of the ancient buildings of Honfleur.

1924 - Jean Dufy - Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
1936 – Jean Dufy – Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
1939 - Jean Dufy - The Port of Honfleur
1939 – Jean Dufy – The Port of Honfleur
1946 - Jean Dufy - Port of Honfleur
1946 – Jean Dufy – Port of Honfleur
1946 - Jean Dufy - Yellow sails in the port of Honfleur
1946 – Jean Dufy – Yellow sails in the port of Honfleur
1947 - Jean Dufy - Honfleur the Old Basin lock
1947 – Jean Dufy – Honfleur the Old Basin lock
1947 - Jean Dufy - Honfleur
1947 – Jean Dufy – Honfleur
1947 - Jean Dufy - Port of Honfleur
1947 – Jean Dufy – Port of Honfleur
Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
1948 – Jean Dufy – Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
1950 - Jean Dufy - Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
1950 – Jean Dufy – Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
???? - Jean Dufy - Boats at Honfleur
???? – Jean Dufy – Boats at Honfleur
???? - Jean Dufy - Entry to the port of Honfleur
???? – Jean Dufy – Entry to the port of Honfleur
???? - Jean Dufy - Honfleur
???? – Jean Dufy – Honfleur
???? - Jean Dufy - Honfleur, East Pier
???? – Jean Dufy – Honfleur, East Pier
???? - Jean Dufy - Honfleur Place Sainte-Catherine.
???? – Jean Dufy – Honfleur, Place Sainte-Catherine.

TODAY: The square where you will find the Sainte-Catherine church is a very busy square with markets and events.

???? - Jean Dufy - Honfleur, the basin of the center
???? – Jean Dufy – Honfleur, the basin of the center
???? - Jean Dufy - Honfleur, the port
???? – Jean Dufy – Honfleur, the port
???? - Jean Dufy - Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur
???? – Jean Dufy – Quai de la Planchette in Honfleur

Jean Dufy painted in a few cities in Normandy. Here are the cities and places he painted in Normandy (a link “” to his works in those cities will appear below when published):

  • Brittany
    • Douarnenez
  • Centre-Val de Loire
    • Bossay-sur-Claise
    • Descartes
    • Martizay
    • Preuilly-sur-Claise
  • Grand Est
    • Verdun
  • Normandy
  • Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur
    • Beaulieu-sur-Mer
    • Nice
    • Saint-Tropez
    • Villefranche-sur-Mer

Honfleur was (and is) a very picturesque town, so it saw many artists capturing the beauty of this very scenic town. The reason it has so many tourists is obvious…. it’s very pretty. Here are some of the artists that have come to apply their art in the town (a link, symbolized by a ““, to the artist’s works will appear when published. A “*” indicates that the artist did not work directly in Honfleur but instead worked outside of Honfleur in a nearby town).

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Today: The Lieutenancy
Today: The Lieutenancy
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Today: Sainte-Catherine church bell tower
Today: Sainte-Catherine church bell tower
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