Marcel Dyf is born October the
7th 1899 in Paris.
His
parents, industrialists, are originally from the Alsace region. Very
young, Dyf starts drawing and visiting the Louvre. His childhood
summers spent in Normandy leave him with a lifelong affection for the
sea and for maritime skies.
Having finished his studies, his
first employment takes him to Southern Morocco. Marvelling at the
beauty of the scenery, he makes the decision to dedicate himself to
painting and to art.
He moves to Arles in Provence,
where his
tough apprentiship begins. But how exhalting it is to work in this
mythical place, welcomed and aided by a great number of friends who are
part of the local intelligenzia.
"The tour de force is very
rare. He had the elegance and the reserve of a Lord and yet the
simplest of people were very much at ease with him. Often as broke as a
gypsy, his spirit remained as rich as that of a mecene. He had grace
and charisma to the point that, if it so happened that you did him a
favour, it would seem to you as if, quite on the contrary, it was he
who was obliging.
He
was charm personified, and this almost
harmed his painting. His art gave the impression of being so easy that
it seemed superficial, whereas in fact it was knowing, demanding,
rigourous and well-organised. Which as years go by, becomes more and
more evident. It is now that we can measure to what extent his art was
audacious."
YVAN AUDOUARD
From 1944 onwards, Dyf exhibits
three times at the Petrides Gallery in
Paris, returns to Arles, then moves to St. Paul de Vence.
In 1954, in Cannes, his wedding
with Claudine, then a return to the
Paris region.
From
this moment onward and up to his death on September the 15th 1985, his
works are exhibited at Frost & Reed Gallery, London.
Demain ...
c'est le chef-d'oeuvre.
