Le Pont des Soupirs

Bernard Buffet is a French painter of the second half of the 20th century, he is considered a "miserable expressionist". Indeed, his style find its inspiration from a very modest everyday life. As a productive artist, he received great recognition during his lifetime.

Bernard Buffet was born on July 10, 1928 in Paris, where he spent his childhood on rue des Batignolles in the city's 17th arrondissement. At the age of 15, he won the entrance exam to the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and at only 18, he became a professional artist. In 1947, he received a commission from the National Museum of Modern Art of Paris. 

In 1951, Bernard Buffet befriends personalities such as Jean Cocteau, Louis Aragon, Pierre Bergé, Jean Giono, Georges Simenon or Maurice Druon. The latter even devoted a biography to him in 1964.

In 1958, the artist met Annabel Schwob who became his wife and muse. In 1974, Bernard Buffet is elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and in 1993, he receives the "Légion d'honneur".

In 1997, Bernard Buffet was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In 1999, unable to paint anymore because of his illness, Bernard Buffet puts an end to his life in Tourtour in the Var, France.

Bernard Buffet's works are poignant, his style is quite recognizable: gray and pale faces, foreheads marked by wrinkles, tight hands, straight hair, Bernard Buffet's characters are as if crucified.