Jean Dubuffet was a seminal French artist known for his prints as well as his primal figures and sculptures of vernacular subjects.
Dubuffet’s adoption of the term Art Brut or raw art, referred to the art of children, prisoners, and the mentally ill, was a reaction to what he called “art culturel” or refined art. It was his desire to break from tradition by implementing rudimentary mark-making and emulsions made from sand, tar, and trash, as seen in his work Grand Maitre of the Outsider (1946).
“A work of art is only of interest, in my opinion, when it is an immediate and direct projection of what is happening in the depth of a person's being,” the artist said. “It is my belief that only in this Art Brut can we find the natural and normal processes of artistic creation in their pure and elementary state.”
Born on July 31, 1901, in Le Havre, France, Dubuffet went on to study at the Académie Julian in Paris. While at school his peers included Raoul Dufy, Suzanne Valadon, and Fernand Léger. In 1918, after attending classes for only six months Dubuffet dropped out. Taking over his father’s wine business in 1924, he didn’t return to making art until the early 1940s. The artist would go on to form the Compagnie de l’Art Brut with André Breton and Slavko Kopač.
Dubuffet died on May 12, 1985, in Paris, France, at the age of 83. Today, his works are held in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
Find original Jean Dubuffet prints and other art for sale on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Lot 180)
Autograph Letter by Jean Dubuffet - 1957
By Jean Dubuffet
Located in Roma, IT
This is a Autograph Letter Signed by Jean Dubuffet and addressed to Nesto Jacometti. Vence, November 28th, 1957. One page, single-sided. On watermarked paper. In French. excellent c...
Paper, Ink
$1,000
H 13.75 in W 11 in
Pink Cosmos Monotype Print, Abstract Art, 2023, Hand-Pulled by the Artist
By a.muse
Located in New york, NY
In the artist's abstract print series, Cosmos, 2023 by a.muse represents an imaginary cosmos - the universe as a place of longing, dreams, wonder, and ethereal beauty. A 13.75" x 11"...
Ink, Rag Paper, Monotype, Gouache
$456
H 19.75 in W 25.5 in
Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Minimalist Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Minimalist Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 19.75 inches x 25.75 ...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$487Sale Price|25% Off
H 10 in W 10 in D 2 in
Homage To Chanel, 5"x5" Artwork, 10"x10" Frame, Black White Red, Christmas Gift
By Andrea Stajan-Ferkul
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
HOMAGE TO CHANEL - This original artwork on paper combines layered brushstrokes with textile collage elements. Surrounded by heavy texture, the focal point is a detailed Chanel logo ...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Textile, Ink, Archival Paper
$1,100
H 23 in W 30 in D 0.003 in
Monotype I Abstract Painting, Opaque and Transparent Colors, Signed
By David Stephens
Located in Soquel, CA
Monotype I Abstract Painting, Opaque and Transparent Colors, Signed Opaque and transparent colors work together in this beautiful Monotype painting by David Stephens (American, 20th...
Dye, Ink, Archival Paper
$490
H 23.75 in W 15.75 in
Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Painting Medium: Black ink and wash on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 23.75 inches x 15.75 (height x width) Condition: The work is structurally sound though with visible creasing, surface rippling and age related toning throughout the sheet. There is a horizontal fold line across the centre and light edge wear consistent with storage. The ink remains bold and stable. This would benefit from professional flattening and framing. Provenance: from a large collection in Paris Description: A striking mid-century French abstract expressionist ink painting on paper, executed in bold black gestural marks with a strong sense of movement and rhythm. The composition reads as a lively field of calligraphic brushwork, with sweeping strokes, broken textures, and clustered forms that suggest foliage, energy, or a landscape fragment without becoming literal. The confident use of black against the raw paper creates a dramatic, graphic impact, making this an ideal piece for modern interiors, particularly for collectors drawn to monochrome abstraction, post-war European modernism, and expressive works on paper. In this particularly powerful example, the abstract gestures resolve into a sculptural tree form. A thick, sweeping trunk rises from the lower edge of the sheet, curving upward into branching limbs that extend dramatically across the upper half of the composition. The bold, loaded brushstrokes create dense black passages, contrasted with dry-brushed edges that reveal the speed and physicality of execution. The central mass gives the composition weight and presence, while the upward branching creates a sense of growth and vitality. The organic structure is rendered through expressive, economical mark making, aligning closely with the spirit of post-war French Art Informel and modernist landscape abstraction. This fabulous mid century original French expressionist abstract tree painting...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$1,900
H 42 in W 42 in
Pinus Matthewsii - Minimalist Original Black and White Contemporary Ink Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
New York artist Thomas Hammer is known for his motion-filled ink works on paper. His artworks, created with a unique tool fusing a squeegee and a brush, are inspired by the spontanei...
Paper, Ink
$4,500
H 49 in W 34.75 in
Forest at Night - contemporary, abstract, gestural, acrylic on paper
By Lynne Fernie
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Darkness prevails in this moody acrylic painting by Toronto contemporary artist Lynne Fernie. Thick dashes of black, gray, white and red suggest movement and add texture. The forest ...
Acrylic, Archival Ink, Archival Paper
$19,000
H 50 in W 40 in D 1.5 in
"Fragments" - Vibrant Mixed Media Contemporary Abstract in Warm Pastel Palette
By Steven H. Rehfeld
Located in Carmel, CA
Steven H. Rehfeld (American, born 1954) "Fragments", 2022 Oil paint, Newsprint, Ink, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. "Fragments" is a...
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media, Ink, Newsprint, Stretcher Bars
$1,000
H 13.75 in W 10.75 in
Mindset, Monotype Print, Contemporary Abstract Art on Rag Paper, 2023, Signed
By a.muse
Located in New york, NY
The art Mindset, 2023 by a.muse embodies ideas on the mind as a fertile landscape for thoughts and emotions wandering freely. The colors, shapes, and textures within the monotype rep...
Ink, Gouache, Rag Paper, Monotype
$800Sale Price|20% Off
H 13.75 in W 11 in
It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect, Abstract Monotype on Watercolor Paper
By a.muse
Located in New york, NY
It Doesn't Have to be Perfect by a.muse suggests that striving for perfection is not always the goal. Transcending the limitations of perfection, personal expression resides in the ...
Ink, Gouache, Rag Paper, Monotype
$490
H 19.75 in W 25.5 in
Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Calligraphic Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Calligraphic Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 19.75 inches x 25.7...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$504
H 23.5 in W 15.75 in
Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 23.5 inches x 15.75 (he...
Paper, Ink, Gouache