The images and information presented below are for the instruction of students and scholarly research.
Charles Dufresne
(1876-1938)
Nude, 1929
Charles Dufresne was a French Expressionist painter. He left school at the age of 11 and worked as an apprentice to an engraver. Dufresne would eventually make his way to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Here he worked under the artist Hubert Ponscarme.
Bain Maure
Dufresne had his first one-man exhibit in 1905 at the Salon des Independents in Paris, and traveled to Italy the following year. Dufresne traveled to Algeria in 1912, and became fascinated by the people and lifestyle of the Algerians. This time in Algeria would also impact his color palate and subjects in future compositions.
Abd El Tif, 1912
Algerian Oasis
Prior to his time in Algeria, Dufresne mainly painted typical Parisian café scenes in pastels. However, after his trip to Algiers, Dufresne used mainly oil and he painted Oriental scenes more and more.
Oriental Scene, 1936
Dufresne exhibited often during his lifetime in Paris, Brussels and London, and participated in a number of Paris salons. While Dufresne is typically known for his paintings, he created sculptures and murals as well as cartoons and lithographs.
Etching, 1919
Today Dufresne’s paintings are housed worldwide, including the Pompidou Center in Paris, and perhaps even in your own home.
