Pascal Bonafoux (born 1949) is a French writer, novelist, art critic and Art history, art historian, a specialist in self-portraiture. He collaborates with various newspapers and magazines, he is the author of numerous essays dedicated to art and was a resident at the French Academy in Rome. He is professor of art history at University of Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Paris 8 University, and is also a curator who organises exhibitions either in France or abroad.

Biography

Bonafoux was born in Paris in 1949. After his doctoral dissertation ('Self-Portrait in Western Painting'), he resided at the Villa Medici in Italy from 1980 to 1981, where he wrote essays for the French Academy in Rome and fell in love with this country – the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo or Giuseppe Verdi; the beauty of its churches and palaces; the charm of its squares, terraces and alleys. Since then, he has continued to travel the peninsula to explore its rich art and culture. From 1987 to 1988, he directed the exhibition office of , which is a delegated operator of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France), Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. He has curated various exhibitions devoted to Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Renoir and Claude Monet, Monet, as well as those dedicated to the works of contemporary artists in Bratislava, Dublin, Prague, Tel Aviv, East Asia, et cetera. In 1988 and 1990, he chaired the jury of the first two biennials of film about art at Centre Pompidou, Centre Georges Pompidou. He became a councillor of several Slovakian ministers of culture after Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution in 1989, he received the ('Prize of the Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic') in 1991. As a journalist, he has collaborated with various newspapers and magazines, including ''Connaissance des Arts'', ''L'ŒIL'', ''L'Obs, L'OBS'', ''Le Nouveau Magazine Littéraire, Le Magazine Littéraire'', ''Le Monde'' ... He is currently a columnist of the French magazine '. Bonafoux is also a professor who teaches art history at the Paris 8 University and has been leading conferences on topics related to art history for the reference organisation Clio, to quality audiences as well as to amateurs and the curious. He has published more than 20 books at Éditions Gallimard, including , a heavily illustrated book for the Pocket edition, pocket Collection (publishing), collection "Découvertes Gallimard", which was one of the bestsellers in France.

Selected publications

* ''Portraits of the Artist: The Self-Portrait in Painting'', Rizzoli International Publications, 1985 * ''Rembrandt: Self-Portrait'', Rizzoli International Publications, 1985 * ''The Impressionists: Portraits and Confidences'', Rizzoli International Publications, 1986 * ''Van Gogh : Le soleil en face'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard » (nº 17), série Arts. Éditions Gallimard, 1987 ** UK edition – ''Van Gogh: The Passionate Eye'', 'Découvertes Gallimard, New Horizons' series, Thames & Hudson, 1992 ** US edition – ''Van Gogh: The Passionate Eye'', "Découvertes Gallimard, Abrams Discoveries" series. Harry N. Abrams, 1992 * ''Van Gogh: Self Portraits With Accompanying Letters from Vincent to His Brother Theo'', Wellfleet Press, 1989 * ''Rembrandt : Le clair, l'obscur'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard » (nº 76), série Arts. Éditions Gallimard, 1990 ** UK edition – ''Rembrandt: Substance and Shadow'', 'New Horizons' series. Thames & Hudson, 1992 ** US edition – ''Rembrandt: Master of the Portrait'', "Abrams Discoveries" series. Harry N. Abrams, 1992 * ''A Weekend with Rembrandt'', Rizzoli, 1992 * ''Van Gogh'', Konecky & Konecky, 1998 * ''Vermeer'', William S. Konecky Associates, 1999 * ''Van Gogh : L'atelier d'Arles'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard#Spin-offs, Découvertes Gallimard Hors série ». Éditions Gallimard, 2002 * ''Autoportraits du XX^e siècle'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard Hors série ». Éditions Gallimard, 2004 * ''Chefs-d'œuvre de la Collection Phillips'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard Hors série ». Éditions Gallimard, 2005 * With David Rosenberg (curator), David Rosenberg, ''Louvre Game Book: Play with the Largest Museum in the World'', Assouline Publishing, 2005 * With Catherine Alestchenkoff, ''Yves Clerc'', Skira, 2008 * With Gilles Targat, ''Behind the Scenes in Versailles'', Hachette-Livre, 2010 * ''Cézanne, portrait'', Hazan, 2011 * ''Rodin & Eros'', Thames & Hudson, 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonafoux, Pascal 1949 births French curators French art critics French art historians 20th-century French writers Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Rembrandt scholars Living people