Pierre Boncompain

(French, b. 1938) 

“Painting is the creation of silence.”
— Pierre Boncompain

Modern French Master Pierre Boncompain is a consummate colorist whose paintings, pastels, and works on paper invite the viewers to immerse themselves in the allure of the Provence region. “We do not speak in front of his pictures, our attention captured by the peace it is steeped in, this longing for Summer, these haunting blues, these ochres and these yellows of Provence, this festival of light, good taste and discretion,” observed Michel Deon, the author of Boncompain Peintures.

His subjects are simple and straightforward, made up of nudes, still lifes and landscapes. Through them, powerful color, expressive line and flat patterned surfaces are explored. Georges Borgeaud commented in his book on Boncompain, "Fruits and flowers provide an Epicurean feast for the eyes and the spirit, the distant mountains let us know that the slopes which we see in the picture are caressed by Mediterranean light." His figurative works portray lovely women at leisure or napping while avoiding the heat of the day. The women look out into the distance, lost in a daydream or in an actual dream. The line of the female figure is sensual and pliant, suggestive of Matisse, as is the joyful and radiant clarity of light. The simplicity and arrangement of Milton Avery are also brought to mind. Boncompain’s landscape work is where he comes closest to abstraction. His vibrant and earthy use of color is reminiscent of the Tahitian paintings of Gauguin. Vivid purples or yellows imply broad fields of lavender or corn. The variations of tone communicate the light qualities in the region, producing the impression of a kind of mosaic. Boncompain practices in various mediums, including oils, pastels, ceramics and tapestries, and offers us a transcending moment where life is unendingly enjoyable.

Pierre Boncompain was born in Provence in 1938 into an educated family where the arts were encouraged from a young age, and he began painting and drawing as a young child. He graduated first in his class at the French National Academy of Decorative Arts. Afterward he studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts. In 1970, the Museum of Modern Art selected Boncompain for the Charles Pacquement prize. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose to send him on a cultural mission to India in 1977, in which he brought back exotic batik fabric. Boncompain completed a mural at the Johnson and Johnson Foundation in Hamilton, New Jersey in 2000. Today, with his wife, muse, and model, Colette, he splits his time between his studios in Paris and Provence and exhibits around the world including Japan, China, and the United States.

Over the last five decades Boncompain has exhibited in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Osaka, Tokyo, Lausanne, the United States, throughout France and The Netherlands. His artworks are collected in numerous important public and private collections including: the Centre Pompidou, Bibliothèque Nationale, Musée de Valence, Musée de Lille, Musée d’Art Contemporain Saint Martin, Chateau de Vascoeuil, Chateau de Chenonceau, Musée d’Angers, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Shanghai Art Museum, Museo de Zaragoza, Kajikawa Foundation, Navio Museum, Takashimaya Museum, Singer Museum, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, and the Johnson and Johnson Foundation.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Pierre Boncompain. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Ariznoa or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection.  We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.