Commission work with a few constraints. During a dinner party dominated by the verve of this sulphurous writer, we conversed about the French Golden Age of the great portraiture with much nostalgia and Roger Peyrefitte deplored the quasi-absence of this kind of challenge in contemporary art (except for Salvador Dali, Claudio Bravo and a few others& ). I retorted that nobody was lending themselves to the game anymore; only the existence of patrons could generate this type of work. His answer was laconic: "Yes! me!" And our collaboration was an exuberance equal to the result.

(This portrait was hung in front of his bed, which enabled him, mischiesvously, to parade the curious through his intimate quarters).