Les Ecorchés: Tête d'écorché 1964

This is Bernard Buffet’s Tête d'écorché, or flayed head, made sometime in the 20th century, and I’m just struck by its rawness. It’s all about the process of seeing, feeling, and laying it bare. Look at how Buffet works with color. That yellow ochre background is dragged and scratched, so physical. Then he puts this furious red on top. It's like he’s peeling back layers, not just of skin, but of emotion. The face is all sharp angles and desperate lines, laid down with real urgency. I keep coming back to the eyes. They're these huge, staring voids, ringed in red. It's not just anatomical; it's like looking into the abyss. It makes me think about someone like Francis Bacon, who knew how to make paint scream. Buffet goes there too, stripping bare the human condition and not flinching. It’s not pretty, but it's undeniably powerful.