French Literature Reviews - 2026
Anne-Cécile Guilbard, Pour les regardeurs. Pratique de l’image fixe (photos, dessins, tableaux)
Art and Visual Culture
Anne-Cécile Guilbard
Pour les regardeurs. Pratique de l’image fixe (photos, dessins, tableaux)
Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. « Figurales », no. 4, 2026.
The word "regardeur" (viewer) has been rare since its reappearance in the 19th century outside the field of contemporary art. Investigating its usage reveals a solitary and silent activity, an expert practice shielded from the dominance of verbal language, scholarly discourse, and social order.
Also available in a hardcover edition - EAN 9782406206163 - priced at 85 EUR.
Published by Classiques Garnier in the Figurales series, this volume explores the distinct concept of the regardeur, or viewer, examining how visual contemplation operates outside the traditional dominance of verbal language and academic discourse. By tracing the usage of this term largely abandoned since the nineteenth century outside contemporary art contexts, the author sheds light on an expert and solitary activity that privileges silent observation over scholarly interpretation and social convention.
This scholarly essay will interest researchers, art historians, and students of visual culture seeking to understand the dynamics between fixed images and human perception. It provides valuable theoretical tools for reflecting on how we engage with photographs, drawings, and paintings today, returning critical attention to the intimate and unmediated experience of looking at art.