From the Art of Madmen to Works of Art – Volume 1: History of a Collection, 2007
Ed. Edite

This first in a series of four volumes* From the Art of Madmen to Works of Art is a prerequisite for a reasoned presentation of the Sainte-Anne Collection. It raises the question of the links between madness and creativity – even if this discussion dates back to the dawn of time. This book presents the tools, whether philosophical, psychiatric, psychoanalytical, or artistic, that enable us to advance in this search for links or the absence of links between illness and genius. In any case, while the links between creativity and madness are of constant interest to those involved in the cultural and artistic world, the works from hospital collections and the artists who created them are perceived in different ways—sometimes stigmatized—depending on the era and prevailing ideologies. One of the objectives of this book is to restore these works and artists to a place that is often denied them. The other objective is to tell the unique story of how the Sainte-Anne Collection was built up.

This remarkable hospital collection, notable for its size, diversity, and quality, will subsequently be presented chronologically in three other publications. This historical overview will show how certain works in the collection are not part of a marginal history, but rather part of the history of contemporary art. This is perhaps what Jean Dubuffet meant when he said, “True art is always where you least expect it.”