Bernard Buffet (1928-1999)

Bernard Buffet was a French expressionist painter, born in Paris in 1928. Buffet is known for his figurative, graphic paintings, as well as his bold rejection of abstract art.

Buffet studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and later worked in the studio of the painter Eugène Narbonne. In 1946, Buffet made his debut with his first exhibition, which consisted of a self-portrait, at the Salon des moins de Trente Ans at Galerie Beaux-Arts. He achieved early public success with his dystopian and darkly figurative paintings, many of which revolved around ideas of art history, death, sexuality, popular culture, and politics. Often, his works referenced contemporary events and artists. His style stood in contrast to the growing dominance of abstraction in the art world, as Buffet was a member of the anti-abstract group L'homme Témoin, or the Witness-Man, which passionately argued for the importance of representational art. Following his debut, he held annual exhibitions, and in 1955, he was awarded the first prize by the magazine Connaissance des Arts which ranked the top ten post-war artists. In 1958, the first retrospective exhibition of his works was held at Galerie Charpentier.

Buffet had a prolific career, painting over 8,000 works, which earned him widespread popularity and recognition, including dozens of international exhibitions and honors such as being inducted into the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1974.