The Spirit of Electricity

1936 or 1937

Raoul Dufy French, 1877 - 1953

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About the Artwork

In 1937, Raoul Dufy was commissioned to create a monumental mural painting, The Spirit of Electricity, for the Paris International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life. This is one of five enormous watercolor and gouache paintings on paper — all in the Detroit Institute of Arts’ collection — that Dufy made in preparation for the final work.

Title The Spirit of Electricity

Artwork Date 1936 or 1937

Artist Raoul Dufy

Life Dates 1877 - 1953

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. French

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Watercolor, gouache on paper mounted on canvas

Dimensions 38 1/2 inches × 19 feet 7 inches (97.8 cm × 5 m 96.9 cm)

Classification Paintings

Department European Modern Art to 1970

Credit Gift of Sara Lee Corporation

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 1999.119.D

Markings

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Provenance

the artist, Raoul Dufy (Guillon-Lafaille #1909-1913);
June 15, 1954, sale (Galerie Charpentier, Paris, France) lot 94.
La Palme (Paris, France).
Nathan Cummings (New York, New York, USA).
Mrs. Robert B. Mayer with her son, Robert N. Mayer, and daughter, Ruth M. Durchslag (Chicago, Illinois, USA).
Consolidate Foods, later Sara Lee Corporation (Downers Grove, Illinois, USA);
1999-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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Published References

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We regularly update our object record as new research and findings emerge, and we welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Raoul Dufy, The Spirit of Electricity, 1936 or 1937, watercolor, gouache on paper mounted on canvas. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Sara Lee Corporation, 1999.119.D.