Bernard Dufour

Bernard Dufour (1922–2016) was born in Paris. In 1942, he enrolled at the Institut National Agronomique, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Alain Robbe-Grillet, a relationship that profoundly influenced his life. After World War II, in 1946, he began copying works by Michelangelo and Tintoret in the Cabinet des Dessins at the Louvre, without ever attending a formal art school.
In 1949, Gustave Singier invited him to exhibit at the 5th Salon de Mai, an event he regularly participated in until 1971. That same year, he also took part in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles and Les Mains Éblouies, an exhibition organized by Louis-Gabriel Clayeux at Galerie Maeght. In 1951, Dufour exhibited alongside Trökes and Nallard at Galerie Jeanne Bucher, where he returned in 1952 and 1953. At the Salon d’Octobre in 1953, his work caught the attention of art dealer Pierre Loeb.
In 1954, he signed an exclusive contract with Galerie Pierre, which hosted annual solo exhibitions of his work from 1955 to 1963. During this period, he also exhibited in New York in 1959, 1961, and 1963 at the gallery of Albert Loeb, Pierre Loeb’s son. Following Pierre Loeb’s death in 1964, Dufour signed with Galerie de l’Œil and was invited by Jacques Lassaigne to represent France at the 32nd Venice Biennale. However, between 1966 and 1978, without gallery representation, he experienced a challenging period.
In 1971, a retrospective of his works from 1958 to 1971 was organized in Saint-Étienne, and in 1973, he exhibited at Galerie Armand Zerbib. His works were regularly shown in group exhibitions, notably at the Centre Pompidou in 1977. In 1978, Galerie Beaubourg began representing him, hosting several major exhibitions in the years that followed.