Élisabeth Quin's 'Le Livre des Vanités' Explores the Skull Motif

Élisabeth Quin, a film critic known for 'Ciné Quin' on Paris Première, has published her first art book, 'Le Livre des vanités', with Éditions du Regard. Following three novels, this work examines the skull motif across history, from medieval danse macabre to contemporary art scandals like Damien Hirst's pieces, and references poets Charles Baudelaire and Raymond Queneau. The book also covers the motif in biker tattoos, Aztec legends, and Buddhist beliefs. It includes interviews with neurologist Antoine Sénanque, collector François Pinault, couturier Karl Lagerfeld, and Father Laurent Stalla-Bourdillon, highlighting how the skull's symbolism shifts across eras and contexts, always evoking human vulnerability with humor or anxiety. A quote from Marcel Duchamp, 'D'ailleurs, c'est toujours les autres qui meurent,' is featured.