In search of serenity
Bernard Buffet never stayed in cities for very long. Although born in Paris, the painter was often overwhelmed by the numerous demands of urban life. It was in the countryside or by the sea that he found the tranquillity conducive to artistic inspiration.
Throughout his life, he travelled across France in search of a serenity that continually eluded him. From the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the Bouches-du-Rhône, from the Côtes d’Armor to the Yvelines, from the Eure to the Var… without ever completely saying goodbye to Paris.
As if emerging from a dream, Bernard Buffet’s landscapes and urban scenes stand out by their complete absence of people, vehicles, or movement. The countryside is revealed as he conceives it: a haven of peace. The city becomes a tranquil place, an exclusive domain of Bernard Buffet, where he invites us to contemplate.
La Cité et Notre-Dame, 1956, huile sur toile, 114 x 162 cm
La Tour Eiffel, 1956, 146 x 114 cm
La Plage de Saint-Cast, 1964, 130 x 195 cm
Saint-Tropez, la Ponche, 1972, 89 x 130 cm
Loctudy, la presqu'île à marée basse, 1973, 89 x 130 cm
Villiers, la mare et les chênes en automne, 1974, 89 x 130 cm
Le port de Saint-Tropez, 1993, 130 x 195 cm
Tourtour, 1993, 114 x 195 cm
