The Great Prehistoric Art Swindle: André Breton and Palaeolithic Cave Painting

IF 0.2 4区 文学 0 LITERATURE PARAGRAPH Pub Date : 2021-11-01 DOI:10.3366/para.2021.0376
Douglas Smith
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Abstract

At Pech Merle in 1952, André Breton provoked a controversial incident by damaging a Palaeolithic wall painting that he suspected to be a fake. This episode provides an insight into the contested status of prehistoric sites in post-war France and the theoretical and ideological implications of their cultural mobilization. Such sites allowed for a disavowal of wartime trauma and supported the reaffirmation of French national identity and its civilizing mission by locating the birthplace of human culture on French soil. Yet their extreme age also threw into relief the relative fragility of the recently invented nation-state. Breton's vandalism cast doubt on the models of cultural progress and pre-eminence that sought to instrumentalize prehistoric art but failed to appreciate the subversiveness of its ‘deep’ history. Ironically, however, Breton's scepticism ultimately enhanced the subversive dimension of archaeology by allowing it to demonstrate the authenticity and age of cave art.
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史前艺术大骗局:安德列·布列塔尼和旧石器时代的洞穴绘画
1952年,安德烈·布雷顿(AndréBreton)在佩奇梅尔(Pech Merle)破坏了一幅旧石器时代的壁画,引发了一场有争议的事件,他怀疑这是一幅赝品。本集深入了解了战后法国史前遗址的争议地位及其文化动员的理论和意识形态含义。这些遗址可以否认战争创伤,并通过将人类文化的发源地定位在法国土地上,支持重申法国的民族身份及其文明使命。然而,他们的极端年龄也让最近发明的民族国家的相对脆弱性得到了缓解。布雷顿的破坏行为让人们对文化进步和卓越的模式产生了怀疑,这些模式试图将史前艺术工具化,但未能意识到其“深层”历史的颠覆性。然而,具有讽刺意味的是,布雷顿的怀疑论最终增强了考古学的颠覆性,使其能够证明洞穴艺术的真实性和时代。
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来源期刊
PARAGRAPH
PARAGRAPH LITERATURE-
CiteScore
0.30
自引率
0.00%
发文量
22
期刊介绍: Founded in 1983, Paragraph is a leading journal in modern critical theory. It publishes essays and review articles in English which explore critical theory in general and its application to literature, other arts and society. Regular special issues by guest editors highlight important themes and figures in modern critical theory.
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