Jean Frémon's 'Gloire des formes' Examines the Ambiguous Status of Images

Jean Frémon, director of Galerie Lelong, has published 'Gloire des formes', a book that explores the ambiguous status of images through his intimate knowledge of artists such as Robert Ryman, Louise Bourgeois, Nicola de Maria, and Pierre Alechinsky. Drawing on decades of close observation and conversations with these artists, Frémon argues that art has always been animated by a conflict between figuration and disfiguration, between capturing the illusion of life and seeking refuge in sublime luminous vibration. He traces this tension back to two coexisting prohibitions: representation and destruction of the image, rooted in desire and hatred. The book meditates on the double body of images—borrowing Ernst Kantorowicz's concept of the king's two bodies—suggesting that after its creation, an image survives itself. Frémon also addresses the problem of reproduction, which can nullify evocative power, as exemplified by the book's own 'low definition' iconography. Throughout, he insists on the difference between what is seen and what is thought, treating images as fragile signs.