Les Anémones (technique mixte)

A central subject in the artist's iconography, still lifes composed of bouquets 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, while the nine distinct colors are meticulously used, accentuated by grease pencil pastels, to create contrast and visual depth, lending realism to the whole.