Who are the Barbus Müller? In 1939, strange sculptures began circulating on the Parisian antiques market. In a tireless quest for the rare and the beautiful, Josef Müller—the founder of the Barbier-Mueller collection exhibited in the eponymous museum—was drawn to these basalt creations and acquired a batch. In 1945, Jean Dubuffet's curiosity was aroused. He rushed to see some in the workshop of the Japanese plinth maker Inagaki. Fascinated by these unusual creations, which share a striking resemblance, he named them all "Barbus Müller," probably after the beards on some pieces and the name of Josef Müller, who had acquired the largest number of them. He published them in a small booklet containing the founding text of his concept of Art Brut (the reissue is included in this book). He also organized an exhibition in 1947 at the Foyer de l'Art Brut in Paris. He later acquired three pieces of this type. Nothing was known about these statues. Acquired by Josef Müller as "Celtic stone heads, Vendée," various provenances were attributed to them over time: the Americas, Oceania, or even the work of a self-taught sculptor. The enigma now seems solved. Thanks to a detailed study conducted by the passionate Bruno Montpied, the sculptor's identity has been revealed (at least for some of these Barbus Müller). Bringing together some twenty Barbus from its own collection and from public and private lenders, the Barbier-Mueller Museum associates these with works from distant cultures, selected from its collections, to assess similarities and differences. They will fraternize as before in the gaze and reserve of Josef Müller.
Who are the Barbus Müller? In 1939, strange sculptures began circulating on the Parisian antiques market. In a tireless quest for the rare and the beautiful, Josef Müller—the founder of the Barbier-Mueller collection exhibited in the eponymous museum—was drawn to these basalt creations and acquired a batch. In 1945, Jean Dubuffet's curiosity was aroused. He rushed to see some in the workshop of the Japanese plinth maker Inagaki. Fascinated by these unusual creations, which share a striking resemblance, he named them all "Barbus Müller," probably after the beards on some pieces and the name of Josef Müller, who had acquired the largest number of them. He published them in a small booklet containing the founding text of his concept of Art Brut (the reissue is included in this book). He also organized an exhibition in 1947 at the Foyer de l'Art Brut in Paris. He later acquired three pieces of this type. Nothing was known about these statues. Acquired by Josef Müller as "Celtic stone heads, Vendée," various provenances were attributed to them over time: the Americas, Oceania, or even the work of a self-taught sculptor. The enigma now seems solved. Thanks to a detailed study conducted by the passionate Bruno Montpied, the sculptor's identity has been revealed (at least for some of these Barbus Müller). Bringing together some twenty Barbus from its own collection and from public and private lenders, the Barbier-Mueller Museum associates these with works from distant cultures, selected from its collections, to assess similarities and differences. They will fraternize as before in the gaze and reserve of Josef Müller.
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