Yves Bonnefoy

Yves Bonnefoy (1923–2016) was a French poet, art critic, and translator, considered one of the most important French poets of the twentieth century, known for his meditative, philosophical poetry and writings on art. He moved to Paris in 1943 and was influenced by surrealist poets André Breton and Paul Éluard. He was closely associated with the circle of Galerie Maeght and collaborated with artists on livres d’artiste. In 1962, at Atelier Maeght, Joan Miró worked to illustrate the poetry of Yves Bonnefoy, André du Bouchet, and Jacques Dupin. Joan Mitchell was part of an artistic orbit that included her partner Jean-Paul Riopelle and Henri Michaux, a group that intersected with key French poets and critics such as Bonnefoy.