Bernard Buffet (1928-1999), Saint-Cénéri, le Moulin et son déversoir , 1975, oil on canvas, signed and dated, titled on verso, 89x130 cm Photographic certificate from Ida and Maurice Garnier, signed and dated in Paris on 27 May 2008 Provenance: Gift of Maurice Garnier to the current owner On verso: stamp of the Galerie Maurice Garnier Good condition The stretcher is slightly warped Good tension and flatness of the canvas Along the upper edge, traces of horizontal marks have been made in the fresh paint, probably as a result of storage Good adhesion of the paint layer Some soiling, particularly at the top edge No traces of restoration Good condition of the serifs Bernard Buffet (1928- 1999) - "Saint-Cénéri, Le Moulin et son déversoir" (The Mill and its Spillway) Saint-Céneri, a key site for landscape artists since the 19th century, is a valley village on the Sarthe: Corot sought clear light and legible planes around the loop of the Sarthe, Courbet found powerful motifs here: bridge, mill, rocks, Harpignies worked on the weave of trees and long horizontals and Boudin observed changing skies over clear volumes. Like his predecessors, Buffet explored this emblematic village as part of his travels in the 1970s, and found there what he coveted: strong subjects, with legible planes and clear light conducive to working on the motif. This large landscape from 1975 was painted in a highly sought-after period of full maturity. It has the vocabulary of Buffet's best work: a taut black line that hems in each shape, a narrow palette of greens, greys and whites, a lean paste and a frontal approach. The mill house and the curtain of trees form an architecture of lines, while the diagonal weir energises the watercourse and contrasts its white foam with the calm planes of the banks. The low sky, punctuated by clouds, balances the composition and provides the chosen light that clarifies the volumes. Bolstered by the provenance of Maurice Garnier, Bernard Buffet's historic dealer, and by the emblematic motif of Saint-Céneri, this piece stands out as a first-rate work.