Robert Combas: Figuration Libre Pioneer Honored at Pont du Gard
The exhibition 'Guerre et paix' at the Pont du Gard (May 29–November 1, 2026) highlights Robert Combas, a co-founder of the Figuration Libre movement. Born in Sète in 1957, he left formal education at 17 and enrolled at the École des beaux-arts de Montpellier in 1975, where he honed his distinctive raw painting technique. In 1979, Combas established the review Bato. He was involved in 'Après le classicisme' (1980) and 'Finir en beauté' (1981). His work gained recognition when Yvon Lambert presented him in Paris in 1982, followed by an exhibition at Leo Castelli's gallery in New York in 1983. His 2012 retrospective 'Greatest Hits' at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon showcased over 600 pieces, including notable works like 'MICKEY APPARTIENT À TOUT LE MONDE' (1978–79) and 'L’ARCHANGE' (1995).
Key facts
- Robert Combas co-founded the Figuration Libre movement with Hervé Di Rosa in the early 1980s.
- The exhibition 'Guerre et paix' runs from May 29 to November 1, 2026 at the Pont du Gard.
- Combas was born in 1957 and grew up in Sète after moving from Lyon in 1961.
- He studied at the École des beaux-arts de Montpellier from 1975, rejecting conceptual art.
- Ben Vautier coined the term 'Figuration Libre' during the 1981 exhibition '2 Sétois à Nice'.
- Combas showed at Leo Castelli's gallery in New York in 1983.
- His retrospective 'Greatest Hits' at the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon in 2012 included over 600 works.
- He is the only French artist consistently ranked in Artprice's top 500 contemporary artists.
Entities
Artists
- Robert Combas
- Hervé Di Rosa
- Ketty Brindel
- Dominique Gauthier
- Daniel Dezeuze
- Bernard Lamarche-Vadel
- Rémi Blanchard
- Ben Vautier
- Yvon Lambert
- Leo Castelli
- Andy Warhol
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Keith Haring
- Kenny Scharf
- Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
- Bruno Bischofberger
- Philippe Bonan
Institutions
- École des beaux-arts de Montpellier
- Galerie Swart
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Musée d'Art Contemporain de Lyon
- Grimaldi Forum Monaco
- Artprice
- Centre Pompidou
- Pont du Gard
- Galerie Yvon Lambert
- Leo Castelli Gallery
- Galerie Ben Vautier
- Musée d'Art et d'Industrie de Saint-Étienne
Locations
- Lyon
- France
- Sète
- Hérault
- Montpellier
- Nice
- Paris
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- New York
- United States
- Ivry-sur-Seine
- Monaco
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Vers-Pont-du-Gard
- Pont du Gard