"Parisian Bridge by the Eiffel Tower" Landscape Lithograph by Bernard Buffet
When we mention Bernard Buffet, we instinctively think of his tortured portraits and dark representations of human emotions. However, his work presents a much richer and more complex dimension, such as this less conventional canvas, which, instead of focusing on characters, captures a Parisian scene in a landscape format. In this work, a view of the Seine and the sky, a fragment of the Eiffel Tower blending into a green that seems largely fantasized, a bridge and a total absence of human figures launch the viewer into a visual meditation of the secrets that reside at the heart of the City of Lights. The artist uses black not simply as a color but as a proper tool for sculpting. Shapes are drawn and delineated, contrasting with washed-out colors such as blue and green. Black symbolizes the mystery and inaccessibility of the emotions that the artist seeks to express. Unlike his other works, adding characters to tell a story, Buffet, with this piece, appears more interested in the element