Bernard Buffet – Clermont-Ferrand

Born on July 10, 1928, in Paris, in the Batignolles district, son of Charles Buffet and Blanche Colombe. He was a student at Lycée Carnot from 1939 to 1943.

In 1943, he studied drawing in evening classes with Mr. Darfeuille, Place des Vosges, and then enrolled in December at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he stayed for only two years. He then continued working on his own.

In 1945, he won the atelier work prize. His mother, Blanche Buffet, passed away. In 1946, he exhibited his first painting, a self-portrait, at the “Salon des Moins de Trente Ans” at the Galerie des Beaux-Arts.

In 1947, he exhibited Homme accoudé at the Salon des Indépendants, and in December, held his first solo exhibition, introduced by Pierre Descargues at the Librairie des Impressions d’Art, organized by Guy Weelen and Michel Brient. Raymond Cogniat purchased Nature morte au poulet for the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris.

In April 1948, he presented Le Buveur at the Prix de la Jeune Peinture at Galerie Drouant-David. Although he didn’t win the prize, Dr. Girardin, a renowned collector of contemporary art, became a passionate supporter and drew the attention of Emmanuel David to the young painter.

A few days later, Emmanuel David visited Buffet’s apartment at 29 Rue des Batignolles and offered him an exclusive contract with Galerie Drouant-David. That contract was later shared in the autumn with Maurice Garnier, then owner of Galerie Visconti.

In June, at Galerie Saint-Placide, Buffet was awarded the Critics' Prize (Prix de la Critique), tied with Bernard Lorjou, twenty years his senior. In July, his works were exhibited at the same gallery. He exhibited La Ramandeuse de filets at the Salon d’Automne.

In 1949, Pierre Descargues published Bernard Buffet (Presses Littéraires de France). An art lover made a pavilion in Garches available to him in exchange for one painting per quarter.

He married fellow art student Agnès Nanquette, whom he divorced a year later.

In 1950, he was among the founding members of the Salon de la Jeune Peinture, organized by Pierre Descargues. He spent the summer with Pierre Bergé in Séguret (Vaucluse).

In 1951, Jean Giono lent him a small house in Manosque. Buffet then rented an old sheepfold in Nanse, near Reillanne, where he worked until 1954.

In 1953, Louis Aragon published an article in Les Lettres Françaises titled “Le Paysage a 4 siècles et Bernard Buffet, 24 ans” (The Landscape is 400 years old, and Bernard Buffet is 24).

In 1955, Buffet ranked first in a survey by Connaissance des Arts naming the ten best postwar painters. He designed the sets and costumes for La Chambre, a work by Georges Simenon, who became a close friend. He purchased the “Manine” property in Domont, which he left the following year.

In 1956, he acquired Château l’Arc near Aix-en-Provence, which became his main residence until 1964.

In 1958, his first major retrospective was held at Galerie Charpentier in Paris. That same year, Pierre Bergé published a monograph titled Bernard Buffet. Photographer Luc Fournol introduced him to Annabel Schwob (b. 1928), whom he married on December 12 in Ramatuelle.

In 1961, Buffet painted a series on the life of Christ to decorate the chapel at Château l’Arc. Ten years later, at the request of Monsignor Pasquale Macchi, secretary to Pope Paul VI, he donated the paintings to the Vatican Museum, where they are displayed in a dedicated room.

His daughter Virginie was born on March 26, 1962, and Danielle on April 24, 1963.

In 1964, Maurice Druon published Bernard Buffet with texts by Annabel Buffet and photographs by Luc Fournol. That same year, Buffet bought the La Vallée estate in Saint-Cast, where he worked until 1970.

From 1965 to 1971, he lived alternately in Brittany and Paris.

In May 1971, he was named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. His son Nicolas was born on May 13. He purchased the Château de Villiers-le-Mahieu, where he lived until April 1978.

On November 25, 1973, the Bernard Buffet Museum, founded by Kiichiro Okano, opened in Surugadaira, Japan.

Buffet was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts on March 13, 1974.

In 1975, he bought an apartment in Saint-Tropez.

In 1978, at the request of the French postal service, he created a stamp design for a 3-franc stamp titled L’Institut et le Pont des Arts. A retrospective of his works was held at the Postal Museum in Paris.

In 1979, he returned to live in Paris.

In 1980, he purchased the Manor of Saint-Crespin in Normandy, where he lived until 1986.

In 1986, he acquired the Domaine de la Baume near Tourtour (Var), his final residence. That year, Annabel Buffet published D’amour et d’eau fraîche. The first two volumes of the monograph Bernard Buffet by Yann le Pichon were released, winning the Élie Faure Prize.

In 1987, his father, Charles Buffet, passed away.

In 1988, the Bernard Buffet Museum in Japan was expanded and inaugurated.

In 1989, he bought a house on Rue Cortot in the Montmartre district of Paris. That same year, Alin Alexis Avila published Bernard Buffet.

In 1991, Buffet designed a 25.70-franc stamp for the French Southern and Antarctic Territories.

In 1993, he was promoted to Officer of the Legion of Honour.

In 1997, the first symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appeared.

On October 4, 1999, no longer able to paint due to his illness, Bernard Buffet took his own life in Tourtour (Var).