French art historian (1924–2020)
Michel Ragon (24 June 1924 – 14 February 2020) was a French art and literature critic and writer. His primary focus was on anarchic and libertarian literature.
Biography.
Ragon was born into a poor family on 24 June 1924 in Marseille, but spent much of his childhood in Fontenay-le-Comte. After his father died when he was eight, Ragon moved to Nantes with his mother. Here, he discovered the works of Victor Hugo, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jules Verne, Andre Gide, and others. He discovered a passion for arts at the Musée d'Arts de Nantes, as well as classical music at the Théâtre Graslin. In 1943, at age 19, Ragon met the poets of the École de Rochefort, such as Jean Bouhier and René-Guy Cadou, as well as painter James Guitet. Due to his writings, he was wanted by the Gestapo, but escaped before he was to be captured. He returned to Nantes in 1944, but left for Paris the following year.
It was in Paris where Ragon became a renowned modern art and literature critic. He would often travel, writing reports for the World Health Organization. He also curated exhibitions, such as the 1967 São Paulo Art Biennial and the 1968 Venice Biennale. He would give lectures at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, thanks to André Malraux, and directed collections at Casterman.
Ragon was a visiting professor at the Université de Montréal in 1970, even though he only had his Certificat d'études primaires. Afterwards, he became a professor at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris. He earned a doctorate at Sorbonne University in 1975 after not taking a single course for 50 years. He retired in 1985.
Michel Ragon died on 14 February 2020 at the age of 95.
References.
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