The artwork entitled “Site to the man sitting” was created by Jean Dubuffet in 1974. It is a figurative piece that is part of the “Hourloupe” series and exemplifies the Art Brut movement, a term Dubuffet himself coined, describing art created outside the academic tradition and by non-professional artists, such as psychiatric patients and children.
The artwork in question features a complex lattice of interlocking forms and lines, predominantly in a vibrant palette consisting of red, blue, black, and white. These colors create a sense of depth and animation within the two-dimensional plane. The central figure appears to be a man seated, surrounded by an intricate array of abstract shapes that may evoke the sense of other figures or objects inhabiting the space around him. Dubuffet’s distinctive style in the “Hourloupe” series is characterized by this kind of playful yet provocative doodle-like cell structure, which invites the viewer to disentangle the visual puzzle and derive personal interpretations which the figurative elements suggest. The contoured lines and bold contrasting colors serve to both unify the composition and fragment it, fostering an active engagement with the viewer’s gaze.
