L'invention de la critique d'art: a multidisciplinary exploration

Edited by Henry Frangne and Jean-Marc Poinsot, this volume collects twenty texts from a colloquium held in Rennes in June 1999. The essays trace the concept of art criticism from ancient Greece to the present, covering diverse fields such as photography, Proust, David Hume, cinema, the 18th century, and jazz. The book's conclusion by Jean-Marc Poinsot highlights how art criticism emerged in different centuries depending on the country and culture (e.g., France, Italy, Austria), complicating the field's analysis. Jackie Pigeaud's contribution, titled "La naissance de la critique d'art," questions whether the term can be used trans-historically. The volume suggests that a universal definition of art criticism may not exist, despite the implication of the subject's framing. Notable contributions from Bernard Vouilloux, Pierre-Henry Frangne, Fabienne Brugère, and Annie Becq provide valuable theoretical and historical tools for readers to form their own understanding.