Bernard Buffet

BERNARD BUFFET (Paris, 1928 - Tourtour, 1999).
"The old bridge", 1975.
Hand-printed tapestry on wool. Copy 145/200.
With certificate of authenticity on the back.
Hand signed on the back.
Measurements: 87 x 136 cm.
This work is part of Bernard Buffet's characteristic style, known for its marked drawing, defined contours and a structured vision of the landscape. Although the artist became famous for his portraits and expressive figures, he also developed a wide production of landscapes and urban scenes, where he represented towns, bridges and architectures with a very personal aesthetic. This work belongs to a stage of the artist's maturity, when he was already an established figure in post-war French art. During this period, Buffet explored different supports and reproducible techniques, such as lithography or tapestry, which allowed him to spread his work to a wider public.

The figure of Bernard Buffet has recently been revalued thanks to monographic exhibitions such as the one dedicated to him by the Pompidou Center in Paris in 2017. In the artistic context of the postwar period, Buffet renewed the repertoire of forms by immersing himself in his own path, alien to dominant fashions and currents. He had not yet turned sixteen when Berbard Buffer enrolled in drawing classes in his hometown, Paris. Later he began studying art at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts where he consolidated his artistic training. Among his classmates were Maurice Boitel and Louis Vuillermoz. During this period he began to work in the studio of the painter Eugène Narbonne. Later he was hired exclusively by Emmanuel David, and also by Maurice Garnier, who guaranteed him regular exhibitions. He joined the Homme-Témoin group and overnight fame and popularity came to him. In 1953 he already had the best poster among young French painters and in that decade he hung his works in numerous exhibitions. Buffet's influence and his work achieved great recognition in Paris, the city of art at that time. He had many disciples who followed and developed his style. Selection of awards: 1947 Member of Salon d'Automne. 1947 Member of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. 1948 co-recipient of the Prix de la Critique with Bernard Lorjou. 1950 Prix Puvis de Chavannes 1955 First Prize for Magazine Connaissance. 1973 Officer of the Légion d'Honneur. 1974 Member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. His works are part of the collections of the Pompidou Center, the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art. In Japan there is a museum dedicated exclusively to Buffet's work.