Buffet, Bernard, Les Anémones, 1972
1972
Pastel in preparation for the lithograph of the same name
65 x 50 cm
Signed and dedicated by the artist in pencil lower left
Catalogue raisonné: Sorlier 198
Work available at the gallery
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.
About the author
Bernard Buffet (1928-1999)
Bernard Buffet developed a figurative expressionist style in a post-war period dominated by abstraction. He developed an eminently graphic aesthetic characterized by strong black lines and angular drawing. The network of crosshatching, also present on the backgrounds of his compositions, provides a plastic link between the various elements of the image.
