"La révélation moderne": Apollinaire et les marchands d'art

This chapter explores Apollinaire's personal and professional relationship with art dealers in France, Germany and the United States, including Alfred Flechtheim, Herwarth Walden, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, Ambroise Vollard, Berthe Weill and, from 1912 to 1918, Paul Guillaume. The chapter highlights the interdependence of the art market and the art critic, working in newspapers, the main mass medium of the day, which could provide businessmen and artists with valuable promotional leverage. A potential conflict of interest between the commentator and commerce necessarily led to friction, but Apollinaire's dealings with dealers allowed him to produce magnificent publications such as L'Enchanteur pourrissant, with André Derain, Sculptures nègres, written and edited with Paul Guillaume, and a series of seminal exhibition catalogues. Networking in the art market also helped Apollinaire spread internationally his campaign in favour of innovative contemporary art, tribal arts from Africa and the Pacific islands and to promote his basic principles of creative freedom and diversity.