Bernard Buffet

Canal St. Martin, Modern Lithograph by Bernard Buffet

1968

Bernard Buffet, French (1928 - 1999) - The Quai d'Anjou. Medium: Offset Lithograph, Size: 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 60.96 cm)

Artist: Bernard Buffet, French (1928 - 1999) Title: Notre Dame Year: 1968 Medium: Lithograph, signed in the plate Size: 25.5 x 19.5 in. (64.77 x 49.53 cm) Frame Size: 31 x 25.5 inches

Fabulous vintage MCM or Mid-Century Modern “St. Martin Canal” and “France Port de La Rochelle” Bernard Buffet Lithograph framed and matted prints. These vintage prints are signed and dated in the printing process but do not have original pencil signatures. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that these are vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. These prints remain in their original of-the-era frames, mats and backing. New brown paper has been applied to the back of frames. We found no scratches or nicks to the prints themselves. Frames may show some age. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1955 & 1956. NOTE: We have these listed to be sold as a pair; however, if you are interested in just one or the other let us know. OOOH LA LA!!!!! Is there anywhere in the world quite as lovely as the city of Paris? It’s definitely a bucket list destination for many people and we have a treat for you! Exquisite scenes of Paris created by French artist Bernard Buffet to display in your own home! We have two mid-century modern unsigned lithograph prints consisting of a larger print of a scene titled “St. Martin Canal” dated 1956, matted inside a lovely black and silver painted wood frame. And a smaller print of a scene titled “France Le Port de La Rochelle” dated 1955, matted inside a wood frame. These mats and frames are original to the prints. The St. Martin Canal is located in the heart of the city just adjacent to the Seine River and today is a popular tourist destination. Can’t you just see yourself standing upon that bridge with the breeze blowing your hair as you gaze upon the beautiful “City of Lights??” Or maybe you would prefer walking along the harbor watching boats come to port as they sail in off of the Atlantic Ocean? That’s exactly what you can imagine as you gaze upon “France Le Port de La Rochelle!” La Rochelle is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay. Both of these scenic areas are breathtaking, and Buffet captured their beauty with his proficient Expressionist style!!! They are going to be wonderful on any wall and they’re sure to bring a bit of French fabulous-ness into your home! French artist Bernard Buffet was born in 1928 and passed away in 1999. He studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (National School of the Fine Arts) in Paris, France in the 1940s before briefly working as an apprentice to the painter Eugène Narbonne...

When we mention Bernard Buffet, we instinctively think of his tortured portraits and dark representations of human emotions. However, his work presents a much richer and more complex dimension, such as this less conventional canvas, which, instead of focusing on characters, captures a Parisian scene in a landscape format. In this work, a view of the Seine and the sky, a fragment of the Eiffel Tower blending into a green that seems largely fantasized, a bridge and a total absence of human figures launch the viewer into a visual meditation of the secrets that reside at the heart of the City of Lights. The artist uses black not simply as a color but as a proper tool for sculpting. Shapes are drawn and delineated, contrasting with washed-out colors such as blue and green. Black symbolizes the mystery and inaccessibility of the emotions that the artist seeks to express. Unlike his other works, adding characters to tell a story, Buffet, with this piece, appears more interested in the elements and structural aspects of the composition itself. Buffet succeeds in establishing a link between the observer and the piece represented. The Eiffel Tower and the bridge become the keepers of secrets, frameworks that bear the weight of Paris's history. The river mirrors...