ZHONG CHENG

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    BERNARD BUFFET (1928-1999)

    Iris Bleus

    1983

    Oil on Masonite
    35 x 27 cm

    Signed Bernard Buffet in English

    Estimate TWD 1,500,000-1,800,000
    USD 50,000-58,000
    HKD 0-0

    Hammer Price TWD 1,800,000
    USD 56,347
    HKD 451,581

With a certificate of authenticity from Maurice Garnier gallery, France

Provenance：

Illustrated：

Exhibition：

Exposition：

Bernard Buffet, born in 1928, was a French painter whose artistic career began in the post-war period in France. At the tender age of fifteen, he entered the National High School of Fine Arts in Paris, initiating his artistic education. By around 1948, he had already held several solo exhibitions, gradually revealing his steadfast and unique artistic style.

Buffet's paintings are imbued with realistic depictions of social reality. With keen observation and inner emotional expression, he deeply weaved societal dilemmas and personal sorrows onto his canvases. Like many other young artists post-World War II, Buffet was deeply influenced by anti-war sentiments, infusing his works with a sense of resignation and melancholy. This reflection on and anger towards post-war societal realities made his works representative of the sorrowful school of art. Moreover, amidst the dominance of abstract art trends, Buffet's insistence on figurative art positioned him as a distinctive figure. His artistic style and exploration of form left a profound mark on contemporary art history, making him one of its iconic representatives.

Buffet's works are predominantly characterized by black lines, rough black contour lines like whips slashing and cutting across the pigment, exuding an atmosphere of loneliness and despair, whether depicting figures, landscapes, or other subjects. His works often revolve around urban landscapes, figures, war scenes, and large-scale series, all of which manifest his acute observations of societal reality and profound reflections.

Despite Buffet's once-glorious career, he could never shake off the shadows of war and his disappointment with post-war society. His paintings are often filled with depictions of loneliness and despair, showcasing a profound tragic aesthetic. His still life painting Iris Bleus emits intense gloomy imagery. Through Buffet's masterful command of color and composition, Iris Bleus adopts a serene yet profound blue tone, creating a mysterious and dreamy atmosphere. This choice of blue not only reflects Buffet's understanding of color expression but also showcases his sensitivity and profound insight into natural beauty. By utilizing a nearly complete lack of depth to increase the frontal impact of the work, coupled with swiftly drawn black lines outlining a cold and sorrowful scene, a pervasive atmosphere of melancholy permeates European society.

The traces of irises can be found in many Western paintings, with the iris regarded as the national flower of France, symbolizing "light" and "freedom," reflecting the purity, dignity, and integrity of the French nation. Buffet's depiction of irises imbues them with more imagination, reflecting the artist's refined and mature state of mind, expressing a keen appreciation for natural beauty and a paean to the beauty of life.

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