Bernard Buffet – A Master of 20th-Century Expressionism

A Precocious Ascent to Fame

Born in Paris in 1928, Bernard Buffet was admitted to the École nationale des Beaux-Arts at the age of fifteen.
At twenty, he was awarded the prestigious Prix de la Critique, confirming his early talent and distinctive style.

Buffet quickly began exhibiting his work in major Parisian salons, notably the Salon des Indépendants in 1947. That same year, Pierre Descargues organized his first solo exhibition, during which Raymond Cogniat acquired a Still Life with Chicken for the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris.
Spotted by art dealer Emmanuel David, Buffet signed an exclusive contract in 1947, ensuring annual exhibitions at the Galerie Drouant-David, which later became Galerie David Garnier, then Galerie Maurice Garnier in 1968, his lifelong dealer.

A Stark and Unmistakable Visual Language

A prolific painter, Bernard Buffet became a leading figure in miserabilist expressionism, alongside Francis Gruber and Georges Rouault.
His style is instantly recognizable: sharp, defined lines, somber tones of grey, black, brown, and green, and an austere realism rooted in post-war anguish.

His dark and expressive work resonated with a wide audience, and in 1955, Connaissance des Arts ranked him the most important post-war painter.

Recognition and International Acclaim

In 1958, Buffet met Annabel Schwob, a writer and singer who would become his muse and wife.
In 1973, the Bernard Buffet Museum was inaugurated in Surugadaira, Japan, a testament to his global recognition.

He was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1974 and made an Officer of the French Legion of Honour in 1993.

The Final Years: Painting Until the End

In the late 1990s, Buffet was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
As the illness progressed and he could no longer paint, Bernard Buffet took his own life in 1999, leaving behind a vast and emotionally charged body of work.

In the summer of 2024, Galerie Alexis Pentcheff in Marseille dedicated a major exhibition to the artist: Bernard Buffet autrement. Curated by his son, Nicolas Buffet, the exhibition offered a renewed perspective on his oeuvre, highlighting lesser-known aspects of his artistic legacy.