Bernard Buffet

Buffet, Bernard

Buffet, Bernard (b Paris, 10 July 1928; d Tourtour, Var, 4 Oct. 1999). French painter, etcher, lithographer, designer, and occasional sculptor. Precociously gifted, he had developed a distinctive style and won considerable critical acclaim by the age of 20. His work, which includes religious scenes, landscapes, still-lifes, and portraits, is instantly recognizable, characterized by elongated, spiky forms with dark outlines, sombre colours, and an overall mood of loneliness and despair. It seemed to express the existential alienation and spiritual solitude of the post-war generation, and Buffet enjoyed enormous success in the 1950s. Later his work became more stylized and decorative, losing much of its original impact, but he continued to be highly prolific, eagerly collected, and very wealthy. His final years were marred by Parkinson's disease and he committed suicide.

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IAN CHILVERS. "Buffet, Bernard." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Buffet, Bernard

Buffet, Bernard (1928–99). French painter, etcher, lithographer, designer, and occasional sculptor. A precocious artist, he had developed a distinctive style and won considerable critical acclaim by the age of 20. His work, which includes religious scenes, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits, is instantly recognizable, characterized by elongated, spiky forms with dark outlines, sombre colours, and an overall mood of loneliness and despair. It seemed to express the existential alienation and spiritual solitude of the post-war generation, and Buffet enjoyed enormous success in the 1950s. Later, as he found himself overwhelmed by commissions, his work became more decorative, losing much of its original impact. His final years were marred by Parkinson's disease and he committed suicide.

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IAN CHILVERS. "Buffet, Bernard." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "Buffet, Bernard." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-BuffetBernard.html

IAN CHILVERS. "Buffet, Bernard." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-BuffetBernard.html

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Bernard Buffet

Bernard Buffet , 1928–99, French painter. Buffet's melancholy paintings are characterized by prominent black outlining and grayed, muddied colors. The subjects of his many paintings include still lifes, city scenes, and figures. Buffet illustrated Jean Cocteau 's La Voix Humaine (1957).

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"Bernard Buffet." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Bernard Buffet." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Buffet-B.html

"Bernard Buffet." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Buffet-B.html

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