Charles Dufresne – Intimate Scene, Poetic Reality, Circa 1930

A modernist work by Charles Dufresne (1876-1938), this intimate scene from around 1930 is fully in keeping with Poetic Realism, a major movement in French painting between the two World Wars.

Woman at Her Sewing.
Mixed media on paper (oil, gouache, ink).
Signed lower right.
Dimensions: 32 × 40 cm. Professionally framed, weatherproof, 48.5 x 57 cm. Certificate of authenticity – provenance: prestigious Parisian auction.
Excellent condition.

This delicate work perfectly illustrates Charles Dufresne's mature period, when his pictorial language combines Fauvist heritage with the decorative sensibility of 1920s modernism. The composition depicts a woman absorbed in her sewing, in a calm and structured interior. The slightly inclined posture, the hands clasped in a precise gesture, conveys the silent concentration of domestic work.
The space is constructed with colored planes:
*warm ochres and deep browns of the furniture
*vibrant reds of the textiles
*muted blues and subdued greens, and diffused light enveloping the figure.
The sideboard and earthenware in the background provide depth and decorative balance.
The brushstrokes remain free yet controlled, expressive without excess.
Here we find ourselves in the realm of "Poetic Reality," so dear to Dufresne: a scene of everyday life transfigured by color and sensitivity.

Artistic qualities:
Emblematic subject: intimate feminine interior.
Stable and accomplished composition.
Rich, harmonious, and nuanced palette.
Very beautiful pictorial presence despite the compact format.
A work consistent with his most sought-after domestic scenes.
The 32 × 40 cm format corresponds to the finished sheets that collectors particularly appreciate when they present such a complete composition.