A period which he characterized as goddamn

Giant attention! Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller, seventy-six years, is one of the giants of the world in the collection. First, because he spends all his time, almost made a trade and is obviously sacrificed a large part of its financial resources. He States in this regard: "A true collector can be defined in a single way." When it has 1,000 francs, he 2,000 francs to purchase. "In Geneva, in the old city, a museum that he created shows samples of his collection of primitive art. At Barcelona, a museum that also bears his name but which is held by the local authorities in a 15th century palace exhibits since 1997 500 pieces of his collection of pre-Columbian art loaned until 2015 (1). The new quai Branly Museum is also home to 500 Indonesian parts that he has sold and 500 Asian parts available to the institution. In addition, it also organizes permanently, everywhere in the world, thematic exhibitions where he showcases one or another aspect of his sets.

The hyperactive amateur explains: "I am unhappy when the pieces are not shown." To expose them, is to give them a second life. "His stature is also explained by the wide spectrum that the collector embraces. He is passionate, few people know, by the poetry of 16th century books, course by African art but also South Pacific art, American Indian art, pre-Columbian art, archaeology of the Southeast Asian and Mediterranean archaeology. And yet... "My wife collects the painting of the 20th century," he said.

His stature is finally explained by the number of objects in his possession. His collection of poetry of the Renaissance is listed in a catalogue in seven volumes that it is published. In its primitive art objects, they are 6500. "6500 parts inventory, it is not 6500 masterpieces", note, history of put into perspective. The colossal figure, however, is rather in the collection of an institution to that of a private person. This note, it responds with a smile: "I have 11 grandchildren," which is about 590 parts for each. It seems more human

To understand the phenomenon, he must go back far in the life of the then called still Jean-Paul Barber (2). This son was born in Geneva to a father of French origin and a mother of German origin. The latter has a lot of ambition for him. "She wanted transform me into gifted." I knew read three years and I have been a dunce the rest of my tuition. "At the age of seven, when his son is interested in the fossils, it passes an announcement in a local newspaper so he could share his passion with others. An old woman answers. Widow since little, it gives the Jean-Paul young about 300 fossils collected by her husband. Thus was probably born the vocation of giga-collector of the Genevois. For its part, his father, a very cultivated man, gives him the taste of the literature. At the age of eleven, he discovered and Arthur Rimbaud and dream already to possess an original edition of "A season in hell". The collector must however wait its 75th anniversary for hands of his son the original Edition with the little boy dreaming.

Adolescent, Jean-Paul Barber is already familiar with the principles of Bibliophily and, in 1947, he bought his first original edition of Ronsard. He then decides to make a collection of poetry. Today, all covers a period that he associated with the birth of the modern poetry of the first publication of du Bellay, in 1549, until the death of Queen Margot, last of the Valois dynasty, which had a circle of poets. "The poetry of Ronsard. A high voice, it is also the music. You can open "The Amours of Hélène" anywhere at random, before sleep, you read aloud and you éteindrez in a State of bliss. Especially if you read in the original edition.

The collection of primitive art will come after meeting his future wife, Monique, and his father, Josef Mueller. "At first, what me has fascinated in Josef Mueller, what are its archaeological collections." I didn't know that an individual could own museum quality parts. "However, at this time, it is dormant passions to establish the material situation of the family. A period which he characterized as "goddamn". It is then a thousand trades. In the early 1960's, it goes up in Switzerland a company to place the investment funds of pension and provident funds. Today, his son manages the firm, the company private of stewardship, responsible for real estate heritage.

1968, end of the fucking period. Jean-Paul Barbier-Mueller again accumulate the result of his passions. "I have never oriented my tastes in a particular area of primitive art." But I need to have consistent sets which show the forms. It is to understand the engineering of an artistic current. "He said however:"my eye is on the art in three dimensions."

The number of possessions is nothing. His passion is intact. Illustration: "recently in a Parisian merchant I see a beautiful mask dogon, topped by a woman to the upright arms." I spend... Later I returned and there my heart stops beating. Fool! You had not seen! He said. Profile I thought: masterpiece! I immediately purchased it. Today, I have "only" 15 dogon masks. "The collector can admire his find"of profile"from his bed.

Ronsard for falling asleep, a dogon mask to awakening... Recipe of the 21st century Aesthete.