Jean Dubuffet was born in Le Havre, France, into a family of wine merchants. Initially drawn to art, he studied briefly at the Académie Julian in Paris before abandoning formal training, feeling constrained by academic methods. For a time, he worked in the family wine business, returning to painting in the 1940s with a completely fresh approach. This unconventional path allowed Dubuffet to develop a style free from the strictures of art institutions, embracing raw creativity and spontaneity over polished technique.
"Exercise lithographique no. 9 Mouvance", clubbed for 814 GBP at Stockholms Auktionsverk.
Art Brut and a New Visual Language
Dubuffet is best known for founding the concept of Art Brut, or “raw art”, which celebrated the work of self-taught artists, children, and individuals outside the mainstream art world. He sought authenticity in art, favouring the unfiltered expression of emotion and imagination over adherence to tradition. His own works reflected this philosophy, using thick impasto, unconventional materials such as sand, tar, and gravel, and a deliberately naive style. His imagery often depicted everyday scenes, human figures, and fantastical landscapes with bold outlines and vibrant colour fields. Dubuffet’s “Hourloupe” series, in particular, showcased an almost psychedelic interplay of line and form, blending abstraction and figuration in hypnotic compositions.
International Impact and Legacy
Over his prolific career, Dubuffet exhibited worldwide and became one of the most influential figures in post-war art. His rejection of elitism and embrace of raw creativity resonated with artists seeking new directions beyond modernism. Today, his works are held in major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Jean Dubuffet’s legacy lies not only in his own paintings and sculptures but in his championing of alternative voices in art, a vision that continues to inspire contemporary creators to value authenticity, originality, and the unexpected.