Bernard Buffet biografia

Bernard Buffet, born in Paris on July 10, 1928, was a renowned French painter, a celebrated exponent of Expressionism and a founding member of the group "L'homme Témoin", opposed to abstract art. He began his artistic training with a municipal art course in 1943, and then continued his studies at the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts.
Bernard Buffet begins his artistic career working in the studio of Eugène Narbonne. His early works include paintings with religious, landscape, and portrait themes. After World War II, influenced by the climate of anxiety and criticism towards Existentialism, he distances himself from Abstractism, preferring a figurative and essential painting style focused on the difficulty of communication between human beings. His style is characterized by slender figures, distinctive contour lines and muted colors.
In 1946, Bernard Buffet exhibited for the first time, a self-portrait, at the Salon des Moins de Trente Ans in the Galerie Beaux-Arts. This exhibition marked the beginning of his rise in the Parisian art scene, exhibiting his works annually and receiving accolades such as the Prix de la Critique in 1948 and the Prix Puvis de Chavannes in 1950. At the same time, he also dedicated himself to illustrating literary works, such as "Les Chants de Maldoror" by Comte de Lautréamont in 1952, and collaborated as a set designer and costume designer for the theater.
His works range from portraits to still lifes, from cityscapes to rural landscapes, also including sacred and profane scenes. In 1955, the magazine "Connaissance des Arts" named him among the ten best post-war artists. In 1958, the Charpentier Gallery hosted the first retrospective of his work, achieving great success with both the public and critics.
Bernard Buffet's personal life is equally interesting. After a relationship with Pierre Bergé, on December 12, 1958, he married the writer and actress Annabel Schwob, with whom he adopted three children: Virginie, Danielle, and Nicolas. In 1961, one of his paintings on the life of Christ was donated to the Vatican Museums. In 1973, he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honor, and in the same year, the Bernard Buffet Museum was inaugurated in Japan.
Bernard Buffet does not limit himself to painting: in 1978, he designs a stamp for the French postal administration. His artwork is vast and includes over 8,000 pieces, including paintings and prints. Despite his success, Bernard Buffet had to face criticism, especially in the world of painters.
Bernard Buffet's journey, however, ends tragically. The artist, suffering from Parkinson's disease and unable to continue his work, chooses to take his own life on October 4, 1999, in Tourtour, in the south of France. His artistic legacy, however, remains a reference point in the art world of the 20th century, testifying to his ability to capture the essence of human existence through his expressionist art.