Ramon Dilley
1933 - | Spanish

Élégantes à Deauville

Signed “Dilley 91” (lower right)
Signed and titled “Ramon Dilley / Elegantes a Deauville” (en verso)
Oil on board laid on canvas

A vivid representation of Art Deco splendor,Élégantes à Deauville showcases the Art Deco era’s luxurious tranquility and stylish elegance. Two fashionably dressed women, embracing the quintessential style of 1920s flappers, look upon a tranquil seascape. The scene, likely set at Deauville, Normandy, one of the most exclusive seaside resorts in France, is richly detailed with a costume-changing tent, the French flag, a wooden beach chair and a stately sailboat on the distant horizon. This painting, adorned with Dilley’s characteristic blooming rhododendrons, captures the enchanting serenity of the French coast.

Dilley's subjects and techniques evoke the legacy of notable painters such as Kees van Dongen and Jean-Pierre Cassigneul, particularly through his vibrant, saturated palette and figure elongation. However, Dilley's creations uniquely capture a vanished era of elegance and sophistication. Marrying modernity with timelessness, his paintings stand as some of the most exemplary in their category.

Born Gomez Ramon y Romero in Madrid in 1933, Dilley's family relocated to France in 1936, fleeing the Spanish Civil War. France became his lifelong home, where he drew inspiration from the French avant-garde and the celebrity milieu. Under sculptor Paul Delmondo's guidance, he entered the École du Louvre, further refining his considerable talent. In the 1960s, at the suggestion of art historian and auctioneer Maurice Rheims, he adopted the name "Dilley." His works, celebrated for blending old-world allure with contemporary fashion, are highly sought after, gracing numerous prestigious private collections globally, including those of the Shah of Iran, Prince Rainier of Monaco and Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Dated 1991