Charles Dufresne was a French painter, sculptor and designer of the 19th century. Born in a fishing family, he left school early and became an apprentice in sculpture due to poverty. He then entered an academy of arts to learn the production of art medals from master sculptors. Out of interest, he plunged into the art of painting and learned the skills by himself. Most of his early works center on café music performances and circuses. Awarded the Prix de l'Afrique du Nord (North Africa Award) in 1910, he grasped this opportunity and moved to Algeria, a colony of France, living there for two years. The experience of living overseas and the unique culture of North Africa opened another window in art for Dufresne. Infatuated with the exotic and lyrical landscape, he began creating oil paintings in 1911. His oils of this time were obviously influenced by the style of Cubism. The renowned 19th-century Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix, however, also had great impact on Dufresne’s use of color and choice of themes.