PARIS.- Christie’s France will present Pourlèche Fiston by Jean Dubuffet in the Parisian section of ONE: a Global Sale of the 20th Century. An electrifying masterwork from 1963, the present work was gifted by the artist to Jacques Berne (1924-2007), a French poet, long-time friend and intellectual fellow, and it has remained within his family collection until now.

Paul Nyzam, Senior specialist: “It is a great honor to offer such a prime example of Jean Dubuffet’s Hourloupe series. Rare for its extraordinary chromatic range, Pourlèche fiston offers a kaleidoscopic celebration of color and is infused with the bustling energy and joie de vivre of the thriving post-War French capital. A vibrant testimony of Jean Dubuffet and Jacques Berne’s beautiful friendship, the work will make its first ever appearance on the market.”

Dating from a pivotal moment in Jean Dubuffet’s career, Pourlèche fiston represents the transformation of his celebrated Paris Circus series into his career-defining cycle Hourloupe. The present work features revelers as they cavort and dance amid raw patterns and textures, alive with vibrant flashes of color. Figuration morphs into abstraction and back again; foreground and background oscillate in wild, rhythmic motion. The title of the painting—a typical example of wordplay within Dubuffet’s oeuvre—offers a witty invitation to “tuck in”; the word “fiston”, referring affectionately to a younger male comrade, might be read as a subconscious allusion to his friend.




The work has been widely exhibited, and was notably featured in the seminal show L’Hourloupe di Jean Dubuffet at the Palazzo Grassi, Venice, in 1964, as well as in the artist’s major solo exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York between 1966 and 1967.

ONE: a Global Sale of the 20th Century: This July, Christie’s will launch a revolutionary relay-style auction concept. Entitled ONE: a Global Sale of the 20th Century, this sale will present masterpiece-level works of 20th Century Art together in a curated live-online hybrid sale, blurring category boundaries and bringing clients together in an unprecedented way.

Launching in Hong Kong, the sale will then transition to auctioneers in Paris and London, concluding in New York. Each city will host a pre-sale public exhibition staged in line with the appropriate regional health advice at the time, complemented by a ground-breaking virtual exhibition and digital marketing campaign to connect with global audiences and support the auction event. Bidders will be able to participate both online, via Christie’s LIVE online bidding channel, and where regional, government advice allows, clients and phone bidders will be welcomed in each saleroom location.

Public viewing: All ONE sale highlights will be available for online viewing from anywhere in the world. For Paris sale highlights, Christie’s welcomes clients following all public health guidelines and all necessary measures to protect our visitors and our staff in place.