HIGHLIGHT

Bernard Buffet was a French painter who emerged in the post-World War II period, amid the social turmoil and uncertainty of the time. While abstract movements such as Abstract Expressionism and Art Informel were gaining prominence in Europe, Buffet remained committed to figurative expression, depicting the human inner world, loneliness, and suffering using bold, rigid outlines and subdued color palettes.

One of the recurring motifs symbolizing these themes was the clown, and this work belongs to that series. As the title suggests, the painting depicts a small-hatted clown; however, its expression contrasts sharply with the traditionally comic role of a clown. The skin is painted white, with red accents on the eyebrows, cheeks, nose, mouth, and ears. The eyes are shadowed, gazing into the distance, while the mouth droops downward. Buffet’s characteristic sharp lines further emphasize a sense of melancholy and create an introspective atmosphere.

This work was painted in 1978, while the clown series itself began around 1955. The repeated depiction of this subject over many years indicates Buffet’s deep attachment to it. His clowns were intended to resonate with the anxieties and struggles of the French people, and he himself considered the clown a figure that “amused himself.” The clown is not merely a circus character but also serves as a self-portrait of the artist as a French citizen, representing a personal exploration of the inner self hidden beneath the mask.

In Japan, interest in Buffet emerged relatively early. In 1973, the Bernard Buffet Museum in Shizuoka—the only one of its kind in the world—opened and holds many works from the clown series. From 2020 to 2021, a major retrospective titled “Rétrospective Bernard Buffet: L’époque que j’ai vécue” was held at Bunkamura The Museum (Tokyo), featuring approximately 80 key works, including numerous clown paintings. The series has also been widely exhibited overseas and continues to be one of Buffet’s most popular themes among collectors.<br>In recent auctions, Bernard Buffet’s clown-themed works have maintained strong market appeal. In October 2024, a work of the same size, technique, and period sold in London for 240,000 GBP (approximately 46,560,000 JPY), setting a record for this theme and technique. A similar piece sold in Paris the same month for 210,000 EUR (approximately 41,000,000 JPY).*These results indicate that the clown theme in Buffet’s oeuvre continues to enjoy strong popularity in recent years.

*Prices exclude buyer’s premium.