The Yacht 1959 by Bernard Buffet

This is a spectacular lithograph by Noted French modernist Bernard Buffet titled The Yacht. It is signed and dated (59) in the block. It depicts a sailboat under full sail cutting through a choppy sea. It is rendered in blue, back, and white giving it a great graphic look. The sea and sky are rendered in an Expressionist manner-which conveys motion and energy to the scene. While not as well known for his marine scenes, Buffet did spend time in the south of France and many of his works depict life on the Mediterranean Sea. This is a lithograph on cardboard. The image measures 29.5 x 23.5 inches. It is framed and the frame size is 36 x 30 inches. The edition was issued by the New York Graphic Society. Even though dated 1959, it appears it was not printed until 1963. It was issued in three states, a lithograph on canvas slightly larger than this piece, a lithograph on paper that was considerably smaller, and this on cardboard. Presumably these were created using the image of one of his paintings. It was an authorized reproduction and is a stone lithograph, not a mechanically printed poster. As such it is highly collectible, but much more affordable than a limited edition pencil signed lithograph. It is in excellent condition with no evident damage. A great piece by this iconic mid-century modern artist.

Bernard Buffet (1928-1999) Bernard Buffet is one of the best known of French modernists. He was born in Paris, entered the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts at age 15 spending two years there after which he set out on his own. His first exhibition was in 1947 and a piece from that exhibit was purchased for the Paris Museum of Modern Art. He won a prestigious award by the time he was 20 years old. He became extremely popular with collectors but was increasingly estranged from the art establishment of France (which is traditionally very conservative).
Buffet was extremely prolific producing over 8000 paintings and original prints. Technically he is a realist in that his works are representational (still life, architecture, figural) rather than abstract, but he captures much of the energy and apparent haphazardness of the abstract expressionists. His work is instantly recognizable and remains highly collectible. He committed suicide in 1999.