Bernard Buffet (1928 – 1999) produced over 8000 works throughout his career, ranging from still lifes, nudes and melancholic self-portraits to cityscapes of Paris and landscapes. He also worked as an illustrator and designer, creating the décor for the opera Carmen, illustrating Jean Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine, Dante’s Inferno, and a few poems by Baudelaire.
Buffet studied drawing and painting at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts’ in Paris and at the young age of 17, he exhibited in a Parisian gallery. From then on, his star was rising: the reviews were raving and his work was included in almost all major Parisian exhibitions in the following years. His work was also warmly welcomed internationally. His paintings during this period can be described as typically post-war. Still lifes – where poverty is evident – are interspersed with poignant Parisian cityscapes. These paintings, all characterized by prominent black lines, combined with a color palette veiled in shades of gray, align with the popular philosophy of existentialism at the time, known from the books by Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.
During his esteemed career, Bernard Buffet (1928 – 1999) produced over 8000 works, encompassing a range of subjects from still lifes, nudes, and melancholic self-portraits to Parisian cityscapes and landscapes. He also worked as an illustrator and designer, creating the sets for the opera Carmen, illustrating Jean Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine, Dante’s Inferno, and some poems by Baudelaire.
Buffet studied drawing and painting at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and held his first exhibition at the age of 17 in a Parisian gallery. Although he was initially seen as a leading artist, his fortune changed. In the 1960s, abstract art gained popularity and Buffet’s still figurative work became controversial in the art world. However, he remained a beloved figure among the general public, leading to commercial success. His exhibitions were managed by Galerie Maurice Garnier, which still represents him today. Garnier ensured that Buffet’s work, although highly debated, was shown in museums all over the world, from Moscow to Tokyo, and from Berlin to Deurne. There is also a clear connection to The Hague, as painters like Ber Mengels and Jurjen de Haan (the New Hague School) were greatly influenced by Buffet’s work.
Since the 1990s, there has been a revaluation of Buffet’s work on an international level. While his work has always remained popular in Japan, more and more art critics in Europe are now appreciating its value as well.
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