Galerie Louis Carré et Cie., Paris
Knoedler Galleries, Inc., New York
Acquired from the above circa 1937

Fanny Guillon-Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, Catalogue raisonné des aquarelles, gouaches et pastels, vol. l, Paris, 1981,  no. 1015, illustrated p. 370

Very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper. Slight staining from mat at edges with scattered pin-dots of foxing at upper left edge and one dot of foxing in upper right sky.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Dufy first approached the subject of horse racing as early as 1913, but by the 1920s it had become a central theme in his oeuvre. The artist visited racecourses frequently, often with fashion designers such as Paul Poiret and Bianchini. It was Poiret who urged Dufy to study the silhouettes, fashionable dress, and interactions of the sociable crowd of spectators, as well as the horses and jockeys captured during the race and the activity in the paddocks. Dufy was immediately drawn to the exhilarating atmosphere surrounding the race itself. As Bryan Robertson describes, "Gradually, in Dufy's racecourse scenes... everything is given up to the crisp, jaunty interaction between green turf, red brick buildings, white railings, multi-colored crowds, green trees against blue sky..." (Bryan Robertson, 'An Introduction to Raoul Dufy,' Raoul Dufy 1887-1953 (exhibition catalogue), London, 1983). Epsom, Le défilé des partants, reveals Dufy's extraordinary ability to convey the vibrant atmosphere that pervades the spe🍎ctacle and social event of horse racing.