Bernard Buffet

BERNARD BUFFET (Paris, 1928-Tourtour, 1999).
"The port of La Rochelle", 1955.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated "Bernard Buffet 55" on the upper right.
A certificate of authenticity from Céline Levy, director of the Maurice Garnier Gallery, dated October 23, 2018, will be given to the buyer.
Provenance: -Pierre Bergé, Paris (offered by the artist) -Sotheby's auction, From One Residence to Another, October 30, 2018, lot no. 45. -Private collection
Exhibitions: Paris, Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint-Laurent. Saint-Rémy de Provence, Musée Estrine, Bernard Buffet, the Pierre Bergé collection, 2018.
Bibliography: Jérôme Coignard, Bernard Buffet, Les années 1950, Entretien avec Pierre Bergé, Paris, 2016, no. 100, reproduced on page 166.
Measurements: 97 x 130 cm; 120 x 154 cm (frame).

Bernard Buffet, known for his austere compositions and somber color palette, offers here a composition imbued with lyricism. The painting shows a view of the port of La Rochelle. The focus is on the architectural and industrial structures of the port, such as large silos or warehouses, which dominate the scene with their heavy, cubic forms. In the center and to the left, the slender, angular masts of several docked ships are grouped together, rising like skeletons against the sky. The foreground is occupied by a dark, empty pier or wharf.

The most distinctive feature is the use of strong, thick black lines to outline all the forms. This gives the painting a graphic, almost etching-like look and accentuates the harshness and angularity of the buildings and masts. The palette is extremely restrained and somber, dominated by shades of gray, black and dark browns. The sky is an oppressive block of leaden gray. This lack of vibrant color contributes to the overall atmosphere of the work.

The painting evokes a feeling of melancholy, austerity and desolation. Far from being an idyllic harbor view, Buffet presents a stark, almost industrial scene devoid of human presence, reflecting the mood of post-war Europe.

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. Still lifes such as the one in question (the still life and portrait genre were the ones he mostly worked on) are paradigmatic of his will to strip the image of all superfluous elements, to advocate for an austere painting that transmits the effort to unlearn acquired languages.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. Today his work can be found in numerous private collections and important art spaces. Selection of awards: 1947 Member of the 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.