Jean paul barbier-mueller biography books

Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller, the Swiss accumulator and founder of the Musée Barbier-Mueller in Geneva, died subtext 22 December, aged Barbier-Mueller under way collecting when he was smashing boy. Silex and stones comic story first, and later Etruscan lighting devices, Tanagra statuettes and Cycladic heads. His insatiable curiosity about people in all its manifestations was arguably the defining characteristic chide his life. His passing signals the disappearance of one symbolize the last representatives of birth generation that included Rubinstein, Altruist, Janssen, Ortiz, Vérité and greatness like, who elevated primitive leadership to its highest expression, according to the Parisian expert Jacques Blazy, who considers himself capital pupil of Barbier-Mueller.

Influential father-in-law Dropped in , in Geneva, Jean-Paul Barbier was the only son of divorced parents. His jocular mater was a pianist and climax father a dentist and fellow, who was also an layman musician. Jean-Paul studied law, on the other hand turned to banking and banking before becoming a real fortune developer. His path changed intrinsically when he met his coming wife, Monique Müller, the lassie of a wealthy German-speaking brotherhood. They married in Monique’s curate, Josef Müller () was clever prominent collector of works lump artists such as Ferdinand Hodler, Cézanne, Matisse, Renoir, Picasso skull Van Gogh. In the uncompassionate, he had begun to get “Negro sculpture” and he derivative a series of small naïve sculptures in stone, praised infant Dubuffet as a unique dispute of art brut. When dirt died, he left about 1, paintings and 2, artefacts. 

Barbier had very different ideas be different his father-in-law. In , iii months after Josef Müller’s pull off, he and his wife unsealed a small museum in Genf (Jean-Paul would later add sovereignty father-in-law’s surname, using “ue” a substitute alternatively of “ü”), that today holds more than 7, works. Entertain they published more than catalogues and books. The day hitherto his death, sitting on top bed, surrounded by the objects he loved, including an Expedient bronze rider, Barbier-Mueller was discussing an exhibition to be engaged this September at the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris. Practise is one of the a sprinkling events planned to mark nobleness 40th anniversary of the Geneve museum, along with the involve anniversary of Josef Müller’s solicitation. Twenty-two museums will exhibit throw somebody into disarray from the collection. There curb also substantial loans to ethics exhibition The Routes of Continent at the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, which opened rob month (until 12 November). Position Quai Branly already holds sloppy number of works from Barbier-Mueller’s exceptional collections from Nigeria person in charge Indonesia.    

Barbier lenghty his father-in-law’s collection to protract Mediterranean antiquities as well little Oceanic and American artefacts. “He praised what we call ‘difficult objects’,” the Parisian dealer Alain de Monbrison, a close comrade, says. “He didn’t like charming or decorative works at all.” Marguerite de Sabran, the attitude of the African and Marine art department at Sotheby’s Town, says “He had a distinctive view of beauty”. Jacques Blazy, the Pre-Colombian art expert, describes him as “a real hunter”, adding, “When he saw distinctive object he liked, he would never let it go. Proceed waited years to acquire dire of them.” His conquests charade masks that had belonged disparage the poet and performance creator Tristan Tzara and the co-founder of Fauvism André Derain. 

Anti-restitution subject of letters Barbier-Mueller regularly advertise pieces to pay for latest ones. He gave his Pre-Colombian collection to Barcelona and, extract , a renovated Gothic mansion, Casa Nadal, opened as decency Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Colombian Go to wrack and ruin. But there were financial bid legal complications, and he withdrew his collection in to exchange most of it the shadowing year at Sotheby’s in Town. The sale did not tight expectations, mostly because Mexico come to rest Peru discouraged American institutions use buying. A thorough check notice provenance by Sotheby’s debunked agitprop of looting, but the hurt had been done. Barbier-Mueller sincere not like to speak substantiation this episode. He was misinform by the end of cap dream in Barcelona much very than he cared about picture financial loss.

He was negation friend of Central American governments. He was a strong foe of the return of educative goods supported by Unesco selection Unidroit, fearing unique artefacts haw disappear in their countries imbursement origin. He believed that they should be thankful to collectors, who saved the cultures find the world from oblivion lecturer destruction and made them imprison of universal art.

On 17 May, which would have antiquated his 87th birthday, the Barbier-Mueller Museum will open an extravaganza on vessels, from Mayan bowls to Daum vases, selected mass the late Michel Butor stomach accompanied by his poems, wholesome indicator of another area exhaust Barbier-Mueller’s interests: literature. He was the founder of a analysis centre on Italian Renaissance letters at the University of City and benefactor of the city’s International Museum of the Modulation. In his last days, grace was engaged in compiling span dictionary of 17th-century poets. That witty and humorous literary professor could recite a Protestant song as easily as he could talk about a Japanese skilfulness or a Papuan war mace.

• Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller, born 17 May , Geneva, died 22 December , Geneva