On Modern Art

A collection of insightful essays by the French philosopher on contemporary art.

Iconic French novelist, playwright, and essayist Jean-Paul Sartre is widely recognized as one of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century, and his work has remained relevant and thought-provoking through the decades. The Seagull Sartre Library now presents some of his most incisive philosophical, cultural, and literary critical essays in twelve newly designed and affordable editions.

Sartre was a prodigious commentator on contemporary art, as is evident from the short but incisive essays that make up this important volume. Sartre examines here the work of a wide range of artists, including recognized masters such as Alberto Giacometti, Alexander Calder, and André Masson, alongside unacknowledged greats like French painter Robert Lapoujade and German painter-photographer Wols.