Patrick Weiller's Debut Novel Explores Art, Possession, and Oedipal Tensions
Patrick Weiller's first novel, "Le Jugement de Salomon," published by Éditions Adam Biro, follows a narrator—a cultured, bourgeois art historian or dealer—whose life is upended after closely observing a painting at a provincial auction. The work triggers buried Oedipal memories and tests his biblical knowledge, leading him to question whether one possesses a painting or is possessed by it. The narrative alternates between the contemporary protagonist and a dark, Caravaggesque painter in Baroque Rome who subverts codes and transgresses laws. The novel explores themes of possession, delinquency, and the complex relationship between art and its beholders. Reviewer Patrick Kéchichian notes the narrator's meticulous, melancholic nature and his encounter with a brilliant, fatalistic art dealer.
Key facts
- Patrick Weiller wrote the novel 'Le Jugement de Salomon'.
- The novel is published by Éditions Adam Biro.
- The story follows a narrator who is an art historian or dealer.
- The narrator's life changes after observing a painting at a provincial auction.
- The painting triggers Oedipal memories and tests his biblical knowledge.
- The narrative alternates between the present and Baroque Rome.
- The Baroque painter is described as dark, rough, and Caravaggesque.
- The novel was reviewed by Patrick Kéchichian.
Entities
Artists
- Patrick Weiller
- Caravaggio
Institutions
- Éditions Adam Biro
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
Sources
- artpress —