Celebrated as a precocious genius, Bernard Buffet was frequently photographed by leading photographers of his time, including Luc Fournol and Robert Doisneau. Their works not only exemplify photographic expression of the period but also serve as compelling portraits of Buffet himself.
Viewing these photographs alongside the self-portraits painted by Buffet offers a fascinating perspective, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of his art.
This exhibition focuses on the relationship between Buffet and photography, shedding light on one aspect of photographic expression in postwar Paris, while also exploring how photography itself evolved during the course of Buffet’s lifetime.
- Exhibition Period
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April 3, 2026 (Friday)– September 1, 2026 (Tuesday)
- Venue
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Le Musée Bernard Buffet
Exhibition Overview
© Blanche Buffet
Le Musée Bernard Buffet will present the special exhibition “Bernard Buffet et la photographie- Buffet et son époque sous l’oeil de l’objectif : vers le XXIᵉ siècle.” beginning April 3.
After photographic technology was established in the mid-19th century, photography rapidly spread throughout the world. Although more than one hundred years had passed since its invention by the time Bernard Buffet was active, the advancement and dissemination of photographic technology continued at a remarkable pace.
While Buffet himself did not take photographs, contemporary photographers such as Luc Fournol and Robert Doisneau did not overlook him as a subject, celebrating him as a precocious genius in postwar Paris. Photographs capturing Buffet were published in magazines of the time, including Paris Match, contributing to the formation of the “Buffet image.” In other words, these works not only exemplified postwar photographic expression but also functioned as portraits of Buffet. By comparing these photographs with the self-portraits painted by Buffet, we can gain a deeper appreciation of his art.
In addition to works by photographers of Buffet’s era, the Bernard Buffet Museum also holds an extensive collection of photographic works by contemporary artists. Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Photogenic Drawing, Tomoko Yoneda’s Between Visible and Invisible series, and Fiona Tan’s Vox Populi, Tokyo differ from the photographs of Fournol and Doisneau in subject matter, technique, and use of color, demonstrating the significant transformations in photographic expression up to the present day.
This exhibition focuses on the relationship between Bernard Buffet and photography, tracing the evolution of photographic expression from the postwar period to the present.