Bridging the distinct worlds of fine arts and fashion, painter Raoul Dufy (1877–1953) was a pioneer in bringing his highly decorative yet artistic textiles to the most avant-garde French couturiers of the Art Deco era. Dufy’s successful early collaborations with Paul Poiret led to an exclusive relationship with Bianchini-Férier, one of Lyon’s premier textile firms. During his tenure there from 1912 through 1928, Dufy created a range of textiles for both furnishing and dress. Whether woven or printed, Dufy was able to convey his joie de vivre through floral patterns, and Les Althéas demonstrates this with flair. For the painter flowers were, in his own words, “…the natural vehicles of colour…the first motifs.” The freshness of blooming hibiscus is captured on the shimmering surface of this block-printed satin; a densely nestled arrangement of six flowers interlocks repeatedly in all directions, forming a mosaic of brilliant pinks and blues. Although the repeat was deliberately orchestrated, the overall composition maintains an air of spontaneity.

This example is an original document from the Bianchini-Férier archives. Les Althéas was exhibited at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1977 (catalogue no. 1240), and also at a special exhibition of Dufy’s textiles in Honfleur, illustrated in the show’s catalogue Raoul Dufy: La Passion des Tissus (1993), p. 97.