After Bernard Buffet Le port de La Rochelle Oil on canvas, dated 1968 This painting is a carefully executed after-work inspired by Bernard Buffet, depicting the port of La Rochelle—a motif frequently revisited by the artist in his post-war period. The composition reflects the characteristic visual language associated with Buffet: rigid architectural forms, strong linear construction, and a restrained, cool-toned palette that conveys a sense of stillness and emotional distance. The harbor scene is rendered with deliberate simplification. Buildings are treated as compact geometric volumes, their façades flattened and rhythmically aligned along the waterfront. The boats and masts act as linear counterpoints, reinforcing the structural tension of the scene rather than introducing movement. The water surface functions as a calm, almost abstract plane, mirroring the architecture with minimal painterly modulation. Stylistically, the work follows the tradition of post-war figurative expressionism, closely aligned with Buffet’s austere urban landscapes of the 1950s–1960s. The emphasis lies not on atmosphere or anecdotal detail, but on compositional clarity and a subdued, almost melancholic mood typical of the period. The attribution as a copy is explicitly documented on the reverse, where the inscription reads: “Bernard Buffet – Hafen von La Rochelle – Kopie von Joh. Benck – 1.XII.68”. This inscription clearly identifies the work as a copy executed in 1968 by Joh. Benck, providing transparent provenance regarding authorship and date. As such, the painting should be understood and presented as a historical copy after Bernard Buffet, representative of the enduring influence of his visual language in the mid-20th century, and appealing to collectors interested in post-war French aesthetics and faithful period reinterpretations.