Jean Dubuffet, Arabe au désert, 1950. Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale London.
1. Like a fine wine, nuance matters
Known for beginning his art career in earnest at the age of 41, Dubuffet did in fact train as a painter in his younger years. He began his studies at the age of 17 at the Académie Julian before setting his practice aside and becoming a wine merchant in his family’s successful business. Art was always calling, however, and he created works off-and-on in his 30s before fully immersing himself in a groundbreaking and prolific practice that sought to liberate creativity from the prevailing bourgeois notions of so-called “good taste.”
Jean Dubuffet, Donnée, 1984. Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale London.
2. Art Brut is anything but dry
Dubuffet found inspiration in everyday life and experiences in Paris, from the people he saw on the metro to the colloquial rhythms of the city. It was a wellspring he shared with a friend, fellow Le Havre native and admirer of all things experimental, the French poet and novelist Raymond Queneau. Dubuffet looked to the creative impulses across all walks of life, finding an aesthetic lexicon in supposedly low culture.
Jean Dubuffet in El Goléa (El Menia), 1948. Image: © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2025
3. The established, the Avant-Garde, and Dubuffet in-between
Dubuffet held a unique position within the 20th-century Parisian art and culture scene, and he was friends with just about anyone you can name from the era. His departure in style from those he was associated with made him a standout artist in New York and he had frequent gallery shows in the city. Dubuffet proved to be an influential figure in this cultural-artistic exchange between Paris and New York, old and new.
4. He was an Outsider’s Insider
Dubuffet was a real champion of Art Brut, seeking diverse sources for his project to establish a movement outside of the traditional spheres of art — from children to inmates, hospital patients, hobbyists, and more. Fascinated with the margins of society, his writing also employed a deeply analytic style, showcasing a side of Dubuffet that was as scholarly as it was vernacular and providing insights into his approach to visual art.
Jean Dubuffet, Tête de héros, 1950. Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale London.
5. Material differences
Where Dubuffet’s early works employed traditional materials like oil and canvas, his practice developed with the conceptual range of Art Brut. He branched out into found materials, including polystyrene, asphalt scrapings, and more. His signature impasto was often made thicker by sand or straw stalks, as seen above in Tête de héros, executed with oil and sand on Masonite. This approach extended into other mediums that the artist explored as well, working with sculpture (Jardin d'émail, 1974), music (collaborating with Jasun Martz), and public monuments (Group of Four Trees, 1972).
6. Becoming the city
In his later years, Dubuffet’s works reflected the public he drew inspiration from. His sculptures became a worldwide experiment in spontaneity, verticality, and improvisation — concepts that brought the city to his work and his work to the city.
Jean Dubuffet, Corps de dame, jardin fleuri (Lady's Body, Flower Garden), 1950, The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Artwork: © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2025
7. A lasting influence in his own time
Throughout his life, Dubuffet was associated with countless movements and cultural touchpoints. He found kindred relationships with artists whose practices laid the foundations for the next generation of outsiders who found a home in the mainstream. Artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Charles McGee, and Keith Haring brought Dubuffet’s essence to their own developments.
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