BERNARD BUFFET (Paris 1928–1999 Tourtour) Clown Hirsute fond bleu. 1997. Oil on canvas. Dated upper right and signed lower right: 1997 / Bernard Buffet. Titled on the reverse of the stretcher: clown hirsute fond bleu. 73 × 54 cm. The authenticity of the work has been confirmed by Galerie Maurice Garnier, Paris, 16.11.2000. Provenance: - Galerie Rienzo, New York (stamp and label on the reverse). - Swiss private collection, acquired from the above gallery on 11.11.2000. Exhibited: New York 2000, Bernard Buffet: The Last 10 Years, Rienzo Gallery, 15.4.–15.5.2000, no. 2. The image of a clown first appeared in the work of Bernard Buffet in 1955. At that time, Buffet made a series of circus depictions featuring clowns as well as performers and trapeze artists. The subject had been popular since the early 20th century and had already been adopted by Picasso, Rouault, Chagall and other contemporaries before Buffet. Buffets unique style resonated strongly with contemporary art viewers and the clown portraits further boosted public opinion of Buffets work. In the 1950s, there was an absolute "Buffet craze”. The artist was suddenly to be seen on TV and in magazines everywhere. It went so far that Buffet was even chosen as the best artist in Paris by the magazine Connaissance des Art: "Modern and postmodern art has only known one real pop star, and his name was not Picasso, Dalí or even Warhol, but Bernard Buffet”. (Roob 2008, p. 43). Recalling this high point of his career, Buffet repeatedly revisited the subject of the clown throughout his work, to the extent that this image practically became a trademark of the French artist. The present work, "Clown Hirsute fond bleu", was created in 1997, more than 40 years later. Applied with thick layers of oil paint through the use of a palette knife, Buffet has rendered a vibrant, yet melancholic clown against a bright blue background. This contrast of merriment and "miserablism" has long been associated with Buffets art. Reflecting on the emotional tension inherent in these works, the artist’s wife, Annabelle Buffet observed: "Only the clowns, his lifelong friends, are his interpreters. They are multi-facetted characters, specialists in mockery, and wonderfully reflect the emotions, the struggles, that Bernard expresses through them." (Garnier, Buffet 1992, p. 7/8). BERNARD BUFFET (Paris 1928–1999 Tourtour) Clown Hirsute fond bleu. 1997. ?l auf Leinwand. Oben rechts datiert und unten rechts signiert: 1997 / Bernard Buffet. Verso auf dem Keilrahmen betitelt: clown hirsute fond bleu. 73 × 54 cm. **Authentizit?t des Werks wurde von der Galerie Maurice Garnier best?tigt, Paris, 16.11.2000. Provenienz: - Galerie Rienzo, New York (verso mit Stempel und Etikett). - Schweizer Privatsammlung, am 11.11.2000 in obiger Galerie erworben. Ausstellung: New York 2000, Bernard Buffet: The Last 10 Years, Galerie Rienzo, 15.4.–15.5.2000, Nr. 2. **Clowndarstellung findet 1955 erstmals den Weg in**Kunst Bernard Buffets. Zu dieser Zeit widmet sich Buffet einer Serie von Zirkusdarstellungen,**neben Clowns auch Artisten und Trapezkünstler zeigen. Das Thema ist bereits seit dem frühen 20. Jahrhundert verbreitet und wird vor Buffet schon von Picasso, Rouault, Chagall und anderen Zeitgenossen aufgegriffen. Buffets einzigartiger Stil findet bei den zeitgen?ssischen Kunstbetrachtern grossen Anklang und**Clownportr?ts verst?rken diese ?ffentliche Meinung von Buffets Kunst zus?tzlich. In den 1950er-Jahren herrscht ein regelrechter "Buffet-Trend". Der Künstler ist pl?tzlich überall im Fernseher und in Magazinen zu sehen. Es geht sogar so weit, dass Buffet von der Zeitschrift "Connaissance des Art" zum besten Künstler von Paris gekürt wird: "Die Kunst der Moderne und Postmoderne hat nur einen wirklichen Popstar gekannt, und der hiess nicht Picasso, Dalí oder gar Warhol, sondern Bernard Buffet". (Roob, 2008, S. 43). Erinnernd an den H?hepunkt seiner Karriere, greift Buffet w?hrend seines Schaffens immer wieder auf das Sujets des Clowns zurück, sodass diese Darstellung fast schon zu einem Markenzeichen des franz?sischen Künstlers wird. Das vorliegende Werk "Clown Hirsute fond bleu" ensteht 1997, mehr als 40 Jahre sp?ter. Mit dicken ?lfarben in Spachteltechnik aufgetragen, stellt Buffet auf leuchtend blauem Hintergrund einen lebhaften und zugleich melancholischen Clown dar. Dieser Gegensatz von Heiterkeit und "Miserablismus" bleibt immer Begleiter in Buffets Kunst.**Frau des Künstlers, Annabelle Buffet, sagt über**emotionale Spannung,**diesen Werken innewohnt: "Nur**Clowns, seine lebenslangen Freunde, sind seine Interpreten. Sie sind facettenreiche Charaktere, Spezialisten für Spott und spiegeln auf wunderbare Weise**Emotionen,**K?mpfe wider,**Bernard durch sie ausdrückt." (Garnier, 1992, S. 7/8).
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