Born in Switzerland in 1908, Fernand Dubuis spent most of his career in France, where he moved from figuration to abstraction and alienated himself from drawing, which he mastered perfectly, in favour of working with colour.  

While remaining independent, he worked with all the great names of 20th century French painters, from Deyrolle to Nicolas de Staël, through Bazaine, Bissière and Vasarely; he also collaborated with various writers such as Jean Tardieu and André Frénaud. 

A major figure in 20th century abstract painting, deeply attached to the history of painting, Dubuis sought throughout his career to create a body of work that embraced the trends of his time, while incorporating references from the past, notably through a particular attention to the fine craftsmanship of his work. In his early years, he had a similar admiration for his contemporaries Fernand Léger and Roger de La Fresnaye and for the old masters, especially Caravaggio and Francisco de Zurbarán. His painting then resembled the "baroque" expressiveness and colourful post-cubism of André Lhote.

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