How have clowns become Bernard Buffet’s trademark?
Clowns are one of the main themes of Bernard Buffet. They are easily recognizable characters as they reflect melancholy in his paintings. Indeed, the sadness of the clown's face contrasts sharply with the world of the circus, which should breathe joy. Buffett's paintings are extremely vibrant and his clowns have become his trademark theme.
Sad Buffett Clowns
Bernard Buffett is an artistic genius. He is an expressionist, i.e. a complete artist who is a sculptor, painter, lithographer, engraver, etc. Indeed, he is one of the most famous painters in France. The paintings of Bernard Buffet illustrate a variety of elongated faces, which are characterised by joy and sadness, light and darkness, etc. They are made with bright colour tones and their expressions show sometimes sadness and sometimes happiness. It can be said that the painting of the famous sad clown is a true icon of his repertoire as it serves to express the artist's own deep melancholy. Indeed, Bernard Buffet's clowns have won the hearts of countless art lovers.
The clown and Buffet's reputation
In the 1950s, Bernard Buffett began making his clown-themed paintings. Indeed, he made many paintings on the same theme and they were very successful. They quickly became the trademark art of the French painter. The clown collected by this talented artist made him famous all over the world. Moreover, his popularity goes beyond the borders of France. A major Parisian collector has recognized the extraordinary talent of this gifted artist and made it famous worldwide. Buffett's reputation dominated in the late 1980s, when some of his paintings, especially his clowns, sold for over 5 million francs. Part of what made his clowns popular was his ability to win the hearts of the French after the war through the expressions he displayed on the paintings.
Buffet's Strange Clown gets international recognition
This series of clowns was a huge success on the international market. Indeed, the French expressionist painter has become well known in Japan; businessman Kiichiro Okano set up two museum galleries for him, bringing together more than 2,000 of his paintings. Japanese collectors tend to buy Bernard Buffett's paintings at a high price. As for his artistic work, Buffett left more than 50 works of clowns, proving the success of this theme. All in all, he created almost 8,000 works throughout his career.