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In 1947, Jean-Louis Barrault, an actor and producer, and his wife, Madeleine Renaud, a well-known actress, founded a troupe which performed for several years at the Theatre Marigny in Paris from 1946-1956.

Jean-Louis Barrault and Madeleine Renaud

"Raoul Dufy made his mark on the 20th Century as he helped to create a modern visual sensibility and perception, a way of seeing things after the First World War, which was different from the way they were ever seen before.

Born in Le Havre on June 3rd 1877 in a family which was to count nine children, Raoul Dufy soon showed some rare talent for drawing. Forced to earn a living at 14, he interrupted his studies to work in a coffee importing firm in the harbour of his native city and also attended night courses at the School of Fine Arts.

After his military service he went to Paris where he lived with Othon Friesz, who was also from Le Havre. There he studied under Léon Bonnat but found academic painting quite boring and preferred the works of Van Gogh, Gauguin and some Impressionist painters instead.

After a trip to Munich his true personality started to blossom though the public was not immediately receptive to his works. Dufy wanted to produce what he liked and accepted the offer of fashion designer Paul Poiret to make fabric designs.

Nevertheless, he did not give up painting and produced many interesting works between 1918 and 1940, the year this music-lover started to paint a series of philharmonic and chamber orchestras. Dufy remained faithful to many themes- racecourses, regattas, his blue studio, nudes, beach scenes." (dufy.com)

During the 1950s the renowned French printer, Fernand Mourlot, printed most of the "original" posters of the most important artists of the day. In 1959 they printed the series "Affiches Originales" for collectors. They are reduced lithographic versions of the "original" posters created by the contemporary masters, Picasso, Chagall, Braque, Matisse, Miró, Leger, and Dufy.