Ceci n'est pas un portrait, 2026

Bernard Saint-Maxent   Best sellers Emerging artists

« A work where the artist seems to stage the very act of creating. »« A work where the artist seems to stage the very act of creating. »
This is not a Portrait - Bernard Saint Maxent - 2026
Painting – Acrylic, resin and assemblage - Unique work Dimension 27*27*6 cm Hand-signed work
Framed – ready to hang - Gallery certificate of authenticity
With
This is not a Portrait Bernard Saint-Maxent transforms an apparently simple scene into a true little artistic theater.
On an intense blue background appears the monumental profile of a pink face, almost reduced to a pop silhouette. Beside it, a small volumetric character, perched on a ladder, seems to be making a final brushstroke.
But who is painting whom?
It is precisely this ambiguity that gives all the strength to the work.
The miniature character seems to want to bring to life the monumental face facing him. The scale, the brush, the paint pots and the splashes become elements of a deliberately skewed, almost cinematic scene.
Saint-Maxent's work rests here on a remarkable play of scale: a small character becomes the protagonist of a scene much larger than himself.
The deep blue of the background makes the pink of the face and the metallic nuances of the character stand out, while the resin and assembly bring a real sculptural dimension to the composition.
This is therefore not simply a painting: it is a small three-dimensional scene, between Pop Art, Street Art and contemporary sculpture.
Imagine an artist facing a gigantic canvas.
There is one last touch.
A final brushstroke.
But instead of representing the artist next to his work, Bernard Saint-Maxent chooses to place him directly inside the creation.
His character then climbs his ladder, brush in hand, to bring this final intervention to the face that occupies all the space.
With humor, Saint-Maxent reminds us of something essential: a work is never truly finished.
There is always a color to add, a detail to modify, an idea to pursue.
This little silhouette then becomes a metaphor for the artist himself: always in motion, always creating.
It is this ability to transform an ordinary scene into a visual story full of humor that so characterizes the universe of Bernard Saint-Maxent.
Self-taught, Bernard Saint-Maxent has been developing a immediately recognizable universe for several years, built around small, elongated and expressive characters.
His work draws from the burlesque humor of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, but also from advertising, current events, the contradictions of contemporary society, and Pop culture. The artist seeks to provoke a first reaction—often a smile—before leading the viewer toward a deeper reflection.
His works have been shown in France and internationally, notably in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto and New York. He has also held several solo exhibitions in Paris.
Today, his work is particularly present in the worlds of Pop Art, Street Art and contemporary sculpture.