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The XXth Century
BIOGRAPHY
Bernard BUFFET (1928-1999)
Bernard Buffet is recognised as a master in his art, and his paintings are collected in the most famous museums around the world. The Surugadaira Museum (Japan) is specially dedicated to his works and displays around 1,000 of his works. His paintings are strong and breathtakingly unforgettable. Bernard Buffet’s style can be recognised among others by a network of “dry” straight lines grey faces, wrinkled foreheads, scarce straight hair, tensed hands. His characters seemed crucified.
MUSEUM : Surugadaira (mus. Bernard Buffet), Clermont-Ferrand, Cluny, Marseille (mus. Cantini), Paris (mus. d’Art Moderne), Rome (mus. du Vatican), Toronto, Troyes, Villeneuve d’Asq, Genève, Lille.
Réf. 6343
Oil on canvas
Signed ‘Bernard Buffet 60’ lower center
DIMENSIONS :
– 130 x 97 cm (160 x 130 cm encadré)
– 51 1/8 x 38 1/4 in. (62 x 51 1/8 in. framed)
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Certificate by Mr. Maurice Garnier
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PROVENANCE :
– Galerie David et Garnier
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This painting by Bernard Buffet, dated 1960, depicts a torero in the artist’s characteristic style: angular lines, thick black contours, and an austere expression. The figure, rigid and hieratic, stands upright, dressed in the traditional matador costume dominated by shades of yellow and black. The dark, textured background heightens the dramatic tension of the scene. Buffet does not aim for a realistic portrayal of the bullfighter but seeks to express his solitude and gravity. The elongated, melancholic face accentuates this sense of austerity. Broad areas of contrasting color give the painting a striking graphic power. The overall composition evokes the inner strength of the torero facing his fate. Through this expressionist treatment, Buffet transforms the matador into a tragic and universal symbol of courage and isolation.
