Galerie Druet, Paris
Carstairs Collection (sold: Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, January 19, 1950, lot 8)
Private Collection, United States (acquired at the above sale)
Thence by descent to the present owners

New York, Carstairs Gallery, Impressionists and Modern French Paintings, 1946-47

L'Art d'Aujourd'hui, 1925, illustrated pl. 7
Christian Zervos, Raoul Dufy, 1928, illustrated pl. 39
Maurice Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. IV, Geneva, 1977, no. 1563, illustrated p. 131

Good condition. Canvas is lined. Work has been recently cleaned. Surface is richly textured. There is a 2-inch long scratch with associated loss to surface is lower panel of the right side of door. Under UV, there are 5-10 pinhead size dots of inpainting just above center point of painting and 1 small stroke below signature. Few minor dots in the face of rightmost female figure and a stroke on right edge below center. A few pinhead-size dots at lower left corner.
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.

Painted in 1923, Le bal chez l'amiral depicts an elegant gala honoring a high-ranking naval officer. Jacques Lassaigne explained how Dufy "liked nothing better than the sociable gatherings of men and women on particular occasions. His eye took delight in the spectacle offered by official receptions in some foreign embassy or in the salons of the President of the French Republic, as gorgeous uniforms stood out against gilded wainscoting, and medals and ribbons glittered under the chandeliers...Here Dufy stood by, a little in the background, an amused and ironical observer, but entranced by the play of colors and unusual patterns of forms" (Jacques Lassaigne, Dufy, Lausanne, 1954, p. 70).   

From 1919 onwards, Dufy began to experiment with a brilliant palette and unrestrained linework, partly because he was inspired by the colors that he saw in his travels to the Mediterranean and leisurely stays in the south of France. "Dufy's visual world made a strong appeal to the young people in the nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties because of its radiance and optimism, the freedom from nostalgia... and that extraordinary sense of speed and vitality which could be seen to fit into the general love of raciness in this period" (Bryan Robertson, Raoul Dufy (exhibition catalogue), Paris, p. 23).

By liberating color in Le bal chez l'amiral, Dufy is able to capture a lively, celebratory scene full of movement and vibrancy. Dora Perez-Tibi wrote about Dufy's imaginative use of color around this time: "It was at this time that Dufy allowed himself a greater degree of freedom in his application of color, letting it spill over the outline of the form" (Dora Perez-Tibi, Dufy, New York, 1989, p. 85). Broad strokes capture the curves and flourishes of the lavish ball gowns. Bright green lights refract through the glass patio doors and spill into the room, contrasting with the deep purple drapery.  Perez-Tibi continues, "The mastery of Dufy's style matches the authority that he shows in his choice of colors. In many of the illustrations, Dufy adopts the now familiar method of three-color tonality. His chromatic scale ranges from the use of binary tones – such as green brought together with violet – to the use of primary colors which are explosively orchestrated into a brilliant fanfare" (ibid., p. 142).