A Guide to the Work of Marcel Dyf
Dyf's technical mastery is evident in his brushwork and nuanced handling of colour.
12/08/2025
Born Marcel Dreyfus on October 7, 1899, in Paris, Dyf grew up amidst the lingering brilliance of Impressionism and the bold experimentation of the early Modernists. Initially trained as an engineer, Dyf's true calling lay in art, and, largely self-taught, the young man set about becoming an artist.
Dyf's early years were spent in Arles and Paris. His move to Arles placed him in the very region that inspired Van Gogh, and the Provençal light would become a signature element of his work. During this period, he was commissioned to paint murals in city buildings in Arles and designed windows for the church of Saint Louis in Marseille.
Marcel Dyf – Promeneuse Dans le Blé
From 1935, he painted in Paris until the outbreak of World War 2 when he returned to Arles and joined the French Resistance.
After the war, in 1950, he established a studio in Cannes, where his work attracted the attention of American clients. It was also here that Dyf met and married the young and beautiful Claudine Godet, who would become his muse for the rest of his life.
Marcel Dyf's work is most often associated with the latter-day Impressionists. He worked primarily in oils, favouring subjects such as sun-dappled landscapes from Brittany and Provence, as typified by paintings like Les Champs en Provence. Often painted ‘en plein air’, Dyf's landscapes are suffused with the golden light and dappled shade of these regions. He is also famous for his intimate portraits, often of his beloved wife, Claudine, and shimmering seascapes. His still lifes, particularly of delicate, floral subjects, are notable for their freshness and colour.
Marcel Dyf – Le Passage (Golfe du Morbihan)
Dyf's technical mastery is evident in his brushwork and nuanced handling of colour. His talent for conveying a sense of place and season made his paintings windows into the landscape he adored. They have a calm tranquillity about them that evokes a golden age of French painting.
Marcel Dyf's work, housed in both private collections and prestigious galleries such as London's Frost & Reed Gallery and the Salon d'Automne in Paris, continues to captivate. There is a strong market for his paintings, which are alive with colour and effortless joy, making his works enduringly popular with collectors and institutions alike.
Marcel Dyf – La Seine à Bougival
Dawsons Auctioneers have had success with Dyf's work, most recently with the oil "La Seine à Bougival", which achieved £8,800 (June 2025), and a painting of his wife, "Claudine à la Toilette", which fetched £3,500 (June 2025). Interestingly, this particular painting came with a handwritten note from Madame Dyf: 'In a Paris apartment, at seven de la rue Duforé, I posed for Dyf this painting, the first year of our marriage - it's a happy memory!'
If you are considering parting with art by Marcel Dyf, Dawsons can help you achieve the best possible price at auction. With bespoke in-house marketing to a huge global audience of collectors, our expert team provide free valuations and clear guidance, ensuring you experience a seamless selling process, and can look forward to a great result… with supreme confidence.
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