Lotto 3277* - A205 Impressionismo e arte moderna - venerdì, 23. giugno 2023, 16h30
BERNARD BUFFET
Provenance:
- Galerie E. David & M. Garnier, Paris.
- European private collection, acquired in the 1980s from the above gallery.
- Auction Christie's, London, 5.2.2014, lot 495.
- Swiss collection, acquired at the above auction.
Standing before the one-meter-thirty-tall oil painting by Bernard Buffet presented here, one is immediately captivated by the commanding presence of the 'Église rose'. As is characteristic of his œuvre, the composition is dominated by clear, rigid lines and forms, which are accentuated by the striking use of black. In many other depictions of sacred architecture, the immediate surroundings are also integrated into the scene through additional geometric elements – neighbouring building façades, walls and fences lining the structures, power poles and lines, streets leading to a church, or an expansive square before it. Accordingly, titles such as RUE de l'église or PLACE de l'église are often given.
This painting, however, diverges from that convention: aside from a small expanse of green in front of the entrance portal, the focus is entirely on the monumental church. The structure is placed centrally within the composition; its prominent main tower, appearing almost disproportionally oversized in comparison to the narrow nave, towers into the sky and extends to the upper edge of the canvas. The 'Église rose' exudes a 'présence magnétique', to borrow a term from Yann le Pichon, the author of Buffet's catalogue raisonné.
And yet, despite the absolute severity and harshness of the forms and lines, the pink colour imparts a softening effect. This stands in stark contrast to his black-and-white paintings of churches and castles from the late 1960s. The Église is both rigid and gentle, strong and mild at the same time.
CHF 70 000 / 100 000 | (€ 72 160 / 103 090)
Venduto per CHF 85 700 (incl. premio dell'acquirente)
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