Here at Callaghans of Shrewsbury we are very excited to introduce our stunning Marcel Dyf collection, featuring a range of delicate floral still-lifes and tranquil French landscapes. Defined by his primarily Impressionist style, Dyf is often recognised among the most prominent and talented latter-day French Post-Impressionists, with his artistic mastery evident in his sophisticated use of colour and technical brushwork.

While he showed a talent for art at an early age, Marcel Dyf began his adult life as an engineer, but by the age of 23 he became a professional artist. He set up a studio in Arles in 1922, where he began his career as a painter of landscape. During World War II Dyf joined the French Resistance, but after the war he set up a studio in Cannes and married his young wife Claudine, who had been his muse for a number of years.

Despite being entirely self-taught, over his lifetime Dyf gained a lot of recognition for his art and exhibited all around the world. In France he has exhibited at the Petrides Gallery, the Salon d'Automne, Salon des Artistes Français, and the Salon des Tuileries, while many of his works are on permanent display at the Musée Arlaten. His works have also been displayed at the Frost & Reed Gallery in London, as well as a number of galleries in New York, San Francisco and more.

Noted for his enjoyment for traversing the French countryside to paint ‘en-plein-air’, Dyf created a wide range of landscapes infused with golden hue and gentle warmth, painted almost exclusively in oils. His floral still-lifes primarily feature vibrant hues of red, cream, pink, gold and blue.

Dyf’s paintings convey a wonderful sense of place, season and sensation, imbued with a serenity that is truly reminiscent of the ‘golden age’ of French Impressionism. His love of the landscapes he painted is evident in the detail and care in every brushstroke, expressing perfectly the beauty of the French countryside. He also travelled in Morocco, Venice, the United States, Holland and England.

“My personal favourite from our Dyf collection has to be ‘la Seine à Bougival’. The gentle blue of the sky, lightly scattered with fluffy, pink-tinged clouds, captures perfectly the essence of a calm summer’s day, while the silvery-blue surface of the Seine shimmers with delicate, masterfully rendered reflections, a contrast to the warm, earthy tones of the bank. The figures are painted in Dyf’s characteristically loose, impressionistic style, adding to the idyllic charm of the piece. I love how ‘La Seine à Bougival’ conveys an elegant simplicity infused with Dyf’s distinctive warmth.” – Erin, Gallery Assistant.

If you’re looking for a timeless and beautiful landscape or still-life to bring a touch of tranquillity to your room, or if you simply wish to see some of Dyf’s artworks for yourself, we invite you to come and view our collection in the gallery on St Mary’s Street.