Bernard Buffet (1928-1999), a leading figure of post-war French painting, is famous for his angular black line and austere palette. The gallery offers a wide selection of signed original lithographs, engravings and complete albums with suite: clowns, cityscapes of France and beyond, bouquets, still lifes, with certificate and tracked, insured shipping.
Bernard Buffet (1928-1999) stands out as one of the major artists of post-war French painting. His immediately recognisable expressionist style combines angular black lines, a austere palette and a poignant depiction of solitude. He left behind more than 8,000 works: paintings, drawings, watercolours, engravings and original lithographs. His signed lithographs ensured his international reach and offer an ideal entry point into his universe. Galerie 125 presents his lithographs and engravings, signed and accompanied by a certificate.
1928Born in Paris, in the Batignolles district, on 10 July
1943Enters the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, in the studio of Eugène Narbonne
1945Death of his mother, Blanche
1946First canvas exhibited, a self-portrait, at the Salon des moins de trente ans
1947First solo exhibition in Paris. The French State purchases one of his canvases
1948Prix de la Critique, shared with Bernard Lorjou. Beginning of his collaboration with the dealers Emmanuel David and Maurice Garnier
1950Meets Pierre Bergé, who will share his life until 1958
1951Stays with Jean Giono in Manosque, then settles in Provence, at Nanse
1952First themed exhibition, La Passion du Christ, at Drouant-David, renewed every year in February. First lithographs
1955Ranked first among the ten best post-war painters by Connaissance des Arts
1956An entire room is devoted to him at the Venice Biennale. Moves to the Château l'Arc estate, near Aix-en-Provence
1958Retrospective at the Galerie Charpentier, which welcomes more than eight thousand visitors. Meets Charles Sorlier, of the Mourlot workshop, who will accompany him throughout his lithographic work. Marries Annabel Schwob on 12 December
1961Major cycle on the life of Christ for the chapel of Château l'Arc, donated ten years later to the Vatican Museums
1962Birth of his daughter Virginie. Sets and costumes for Carmen at the Opéra de Marseille
1963Birth of his daughter Danielle
1964Moves to Brittany, at Saint-Cast
1968His dealer Maurice Garnier takes over the David et Garnier gallery alone, renamed Galerie Maurice Garnier. He exhibits Buffet every year until the painter's death
1971Knight of the Légion d'honneur
1973Opening of the Bernard Buffet Museum at Surugadaira, Japan, founded by Kiichiro Okano
1974Elected to the Académie des beaux-arts
1978Designs the postage stamp L'Institut et le Pont des Arts
1986Moves to the La Baume estate, near Tourtour (Var), his final home
1991Retrospectives at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg
1993Officer of the Légion d'honneur
1999Dies in Tourtour, on 4 October, at the age of 71
2016Major retrospective at the Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris
Born in Paris, Bernard Buffet caught the attention of critics early on with his graphic mastery. At the age of 20 he was awarded the Prix de la Critique (Critics' Prize), shared with Bernard Lorjou, and embarked on a meteoric career. Indifferent to fashion, he developed a personal style, sometimes criticised, often admired: gaunt figures, deserted landscapes, clowns and still lifes reflect a constant inner tension. His influences include Van Gogh, Courbet, Géricault, but also Rouault and Gruber in the expressionist vein.
While part of the Parisian art world criticised him, Buffet was acclaimed in Japan as a master: a museum was dedicated to him as early as 1973, in Surugadaira, in Shizuoka Prefecture. He collaborated with the great printmaking workshops, notably Mourlot in Paris, where he printed his lithographs alongside artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall or Joan Miró. His emblematic series (Les Clowns, Les Jeux de dames, Saint-Tropez, Venise), as well as the circus, bullfighting, flowers and birds, form the core of the market for his signed original lithographs.
Bernard Buffet's lithographs are listed in the catalogues raisonnés by Charles Sorlier, Bernard Buffet lithographe, volume I covering 1952-1979 and volume II covering 1979-1986, and his engravings in that of Maurice Rheims. Later lithographs, from the late 1980s and the 1990s, do not appear in these volumes and are expected to be included in a third volume, currently in preparation: a recent lithograph without a catalogue number may therefore well be an original work. To help identify an authentic print, consult our guide Bernard Buffet, graveur et lithographe on Le Guide de l'Estampe.
L'Enfer de Dante, the first canticle of The Divine Comedy, was published in 1977 by Maurice Garnier. Buffet engraved eleven original drypoints measuring 76 x 58 cm, printed on Moulin du Gué paper on the hand presses of the Lacourière et Frélaut workshop, in an edition of 120 copies. Only thirty deluxe copies additionally include a suite of the eleven plates, signed in pencil and numbered in Roman numerals. Emaciated faces, tormented bodies, scratched black lines: Buffet's line gives the descent into Hell striking intensity. The work is referenced in the catalogue raisonné of engravings under numbers 357 to 367. The gallery offers a complete deluxe copy of L'Enfer de Dante, with its signed suite and original slipcase.
Buffet designed large albums, portfolios and illustrated books, most often with the printer Fernand Mourlot or his dealer and publisher Maurice Garnier. Complete, in their original slipcase, they are among the most sought-after sets among collectors, and their plates are also found individually:
The album Don Quichotte by Cervantes, published in Paris by Maurice Garnier and completed in printing in 1989, comprises ten original colour lithographs on Arches vellum, printed on the presses of the Imprimerie Mourlot, with texts in calligraphy by Buffet himself. The edition is limited to 235 copies, and all the plates are signed. The deluxe copies also include a suite of the black stones alone. Discover the Don Quichotte album by Bernard Buffet, a complete work with its suite.
The price of an original lithograph depends on the handwritten signature, the numbering, the subject, the format, the period and the condition. Small-format works signed in the plate are a good way to start a collection. Medium-format lithographs signed in pencil, or large-format ones measuring 58 x 76 cm, form the core of the market: cityscapes, still lifes and bouquets are in high demand. Next come the emblematic subjects, clowns and bullfighters, in particular the plates from Mon cirque, followed by complete albums with their suite, true collector's pieces. Buffet's market value remains stable, with sustained demand for authentic, signed and well-preserved works.
Pulled as a margin copy from the numbered edition, artist's proofs (E.A.) are most often numbered in Roman numerals, for example E.A. XII/XXX, and signed. Highly prized by collectors, they are the copies reserved for the artist. The numbering, the signature and the provenance are specified on each record.
Are you looking for a signed Bernard Buffet lithograph, an original engraving or a complete album? The works presented above are available to buy online, with tracked and insured shipping, or can be viewed at the gallery in Argancy, by appointment. This art gallery near Metz, accessible from Thionville, Nancy and Luxembourg, welcomes art lovers from the region as well as collectors from across France. Among the works presented: Mon cirque, Clown au fond rouge (1968), La Révolution, Marianne (1989), Bouquet de jonquilles et lilas (1985) and the original engraving Bouquet de fleurs (1983). Each work is described in detail, with full transparency about its condition, and sold with an invoice-certificate and a certificate of authenticity that guarantees it and facilitates resale. Shipping is carefully handled and payment is secure.
It all depends on the signature, the format and the subject. Original works online range from €75 to €5,950. Market benchmarks:
His black, angular and nervous line, which structures his clowns, cityscapes, flowers and still lifes, makes him instantly recognisable. An original lithograph is generally numbered and signed in pencil, and most are referenced in Charles Sorlier's catalogues raisonnés, except for the later ones, dating from after 1986. Decorative reproductions, whose signature and numbering are printed, are not original works.
Most are signed in pencil, a few in ink, notably in the circus series. Others are signed in the plate: the signature is then printed together with the image, which does not prevent them from being original lithographs, with genuine collector's value. This is the case of the 1967 series in the 31 x 24 cm format, printed at Mourlot: Le Hibou, Le Clown jaune, Le Clown rouge, Le Village, Nature morte aux fruits, Nature morte à la bouteille, Le Bouquet violet, Les Oiseaux and Le Torero. There are also unsigned edition lithographs, which offer a more accessible entry point.
Most were printed in Paris at the Mourlot workshop, one of the most prestigious of the 20th century. Buffet produced numerous original lithographs there, as well as the posters for his exhibitions at his dealer Maurice Garnier's gallery.
Drypoint is a direct engraving technique: the artist incises the metal plate with a needle, without acid. The line leaves a metal burr that holds the ink and produces a velvety black, perfectly suited to Buffet's scratched line. As each plate wears down quickly, the editions are limited.
Yes, a museum entirely devoted to Bernard Buffet opened in 1973 in Japan, in Shizuoka Prefecture, a testament to the artist's great popularity in that country.
Do you own an original lithograph, an engraving, a drawing or a painting by Bernard Buffet? Galerie 125 offers a confidential, no-obligation appraisal, based on a thorough knowledge of the market. For a serious appraisal, simply send detailed photographs, the dimensions, the signature and numbering, as well as the general condition of the work. Depending on the quality of the piece, an immediate purchase may be considered. Every request is handled with rigour and discretion.
Do you own an oil on canvas, a watercolour, an original drawing, a lithograph or a signed engraving by Bernard Buffet and wish to sell it? Find out how to proceed on our Sell a work page.
