Robert Vernet-Bonfort was born in Marseille, France in 1934. Rendered deaf by an early childhood illness, Vernet-Bonfort embraced visual arts in study and practice as a refuge from the silence of the outer world, permitting elaborate expression through a vivid and colorful visual language. He studied at L'école des Beaux-Arts in Marseille from 1948 to 1957.

A frequently exhibited and lauded French artist active since the 1950's, Vernet-Bonfort's work demonstrates the intersection of old and new masters' technique, with a strong personal sensibility. Upon completion of his studies he was awarded the Prix Claverie, the first of many future accolades. The year of his graduation also marked his first gallery exhibition at the Galerie Reboul in Marseille.

After a successful exhibition in 1964 at the Madden Galley in London, Vernet-Bonfort was awarded the Elizabeth T. Greenshields Foundation Great Award, which allowed him a year of paid study in the United States. He has been recognized as belonging to the "Modern School of Marseille", a style of French Provencal painting dominated by the sensuous colors and striking contrasts found in the rural and maritime landscapes of the South of France, and Spain.