About this item

In 1954, the French writer, politician, and publisher Andr Malraux (1901-1976) posed at home for a photographer from the magazine Paris Match, surrounded by pages from his forthcoming book Le muse imaginaire de la sculpture mondiale. The enchanting metaphor of the muse imaginaire (imaginary museum) was built upon that illustrated art book, and Malraux was one of its greatest champions. Drawing on a range of contemporary publications, he adopted images and responded to ideas. Indeed, Malraux's book on the floor is a variation of photographer Andr Vigneau's spectacular Encyclopdie photographique de l'art, published in five volumes from 1935 on - years before Malraux would enter this field. Both authors were engaged in juxtaposing artworks via photographs and publishing these photographs by the hundreds, but Malraux was the better sloganeer.