Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bernard Buffet: For Beginners

Bon jour.

Due to the overwhelming response to my mention of the French artist Bernard Buffet, I thought I'd do a quick run-down on why you may want to familiarise yourselves with his work.

 Bernard Buffet (1928-1999) was a prolific French expressionist artist. He painted many religious images, still lifes, scenery and figures. His works are easily recognisable as he used strong black outlines and his gothic figures are often elongated and sinewy (my words!)

He produced more than 8000 paintings and many prints. You can google him if you want to know more. If you keep your eyes open, I bet you'll find some prints of his work in Op Shops.

These are my two Bernard Buffet prints.


The one below (incorrectly labeled) is entitled Matador (1958).









And this one is entitled Toreador (1958). 


I'll admit to liking their bottoms.

They hung on either side of an arch in the foyer of the Spanish-style house I grew up in.

I recently found them languishing in a shed at The Land of Grandad. 

When I saved them, I didn't know about Bernard Buffet but the good people of H is for Home saw the prints on a previous post and emailed me about them. 

They're not worth anything, so I won't be retiring any time soon.


This vase has nothing to do with Bernard Buffet. I believe it is by Mari Simmulson for Swedish Uppsala Ekeby. Grandma bought it in Sweden in the 1960s, and she more recently found it LYING OUTSIDE IN A TRAILER at the Land of Grandad. 

Imagine. 

No, don't imagine. It's too horrible.

18 comments:

  1. When I die, my soul will go to the land of grandad, be warned!

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  2. This mystical Land of Grandad seems like a better prospect than the op shops to me. Random Scandinavian and mid century goodness seems to languish there... xx

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  3. That is an amazing find for you...I have heard the stories of my own Grandpa and his many stuffed sheds but I was 10 when he died or I would have said save it all for me!

    I do have a set of his cow bells...they came from Norway....yep there quite a pair of bells.

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  4. Perhaps it is time to have a quiet chat with Grandad or just keep a close eye on his trailer.

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  5. In my family ther's the land of grandmother. You can find anything there. I once needed a piece to repair my bike and my cousin looked at me and said 'you know where you can find it, right?'. And in fact there were, in ac orner, many pieces from previous bikes my grandfather owned. Not to mention furnitures, chandeliers, clothes...if I were a normal person I would call that place a dump, but to me it's heaven.

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  6. Wow, what cool grandparents! I'm very impressed. I thought of you when I saw a small collection of that bright blue glazed Scandi ceramics (can't remember his name) in a store the other day. Very beautiful :)

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  7. Your grandad land sounds like just the kind of place I like to frequent. Your vase is lovely.

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  8. This post reminded me of one of my favourite artists simply because he has a similar name - Jean Dubuffet. He's also a French artist and his work rocks. Check him out!

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  9. Carmel, understand your 'liking' of the 'pert' butts. They are lovely prints, very you! It sounds like you need to stalk that trailer (frequently)

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  10. i love the strong black and scratchy blues - sends me right back into my aunts living room circa 1970!

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  11. I think we all need a tour of the Land of Grandad.

    p.s. I like the bottoms too.

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  12. your grandparents sound hilarious. Thanks for the art lesson!

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  13. The Land of Grandad...sounds like a prime vacation destination to me! I'll bet there are big boxes of buttons, aren't there?

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  14. I love all of these things and I can't believe they were left lying around! Glad that you have rescued them for your own house from the Land of Grandad! Emma

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  15. I have seem prints like these before, now im curious. The Land of Grandad, I love it. Megan xx

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  16. Land of Grandad is full of goodies. I did not know of this Bernard Buffet. I do now. I can picture these near a few bull ornaments.

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