Buffet, Bernard, Les Anémones, 1972

A central subject in the artist’s iconography, still lifes composed of a bouquet of flowers abound in his representations. This pastel, a preparatory model for the lithograph 198 Les Anémones, dedicated “Pour Charles (Sorlier) et Pierrette affectueusement”, reveals a glimpse into Bernard Buffet’s creative process. Here, the artist repeats a classical symmetry through a circular vase holding flowers in shades of violet and red. The vase’s near-total transparency reveals the stems and water. The nine distinct colors are meticulously used, accentuated by grease pencil pastels, to create contrast and visual depth, lending realism to the whole.