Henri Dufaux

HENRI DUFAUX (Chens-sur-Léman, 1879 – Geneva, 1980).
“African Woman in a Marsh.”
Oil on canvas.
Signed and titled in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 66 x 55 cm; 87 x 76 cm (frame).

In addition to his distinguished career as a pioneer of Swiss aviation alongside his brother Armand, Henri Dufaux undertook numerous journeys throughout the early decades of the 20th century, finding in the African continent a constant source of artistic inspiration. Fascinated by the coastal and riverine landscapes of the regions he visited—such as North Africa and the Nile basins— Dufaux conveyed on his canvases a vision of the African environment free from picturesque artifice, focusing on natural light, the serenity of the landscape, and the authenticity of everyday life. In “African Woman in a Marsh,” the artist documents these stays through on-site observation, capturing with documentary precision and Impressionist sensitivity the warm atmosphere of the wetlands and the dignity of the human figure in its setting.

Henri Dufaux was a painter whose career is particularly unique for combining artistic creation with a distinguished career as an inventor and aviation pioneer. The son of painter and sculptor Frédéric Dufaux, he studied fine arts in Geneva and Paris and was influenced by the teachings of Barthélemy Menn, a key figure in 19th-century Genevan painting. After an early period devoted to engineering and aeronautics alongside his brother Armand—with whom he developed engines, vertical-flight prototypes, and biplanes—he abandoned aircraft construction in 1912 and fully resumed the family’s painting tradition. As an artist, he focused primarily on landscapes, cityscapes, and scenes inspired by his travels. During the interwar period, he traveled extensively throughout Africa and Oceania; these experiences provided much of the subject matter for his paintings and his work as an illustrator. His work is characterized by an interest in light, color, and the direct capture of exotic atmospheres and landscapes. One of his most notable works, *Forêt équatoriale*, commissioned by the Ministry of the Colonies in Paris, contributed to his being awarded the Legion of Honor.