Raymond Cogniat Explained

Raymond Cogniat (14 April 1896 – 20 February 1977) was a French art critic, journalist, historian of art and expert on theatre design.^[1]

Life

Raymond Cogniat was born on 14 April 1896, the son of a journalist. In 1918 he joined the staff of the Théâtre de l'Atelier. He continued to champion avant-garde theatre as a critic for the journal Comœdia and, until 1940, editor of Beaux Arts.^[1] In 1923 Cogniat became the resident art critic of the Revue de l'Amérique latine, developing an expertise .^[2]

From 1943 to 1967 Cogniat was Principal Inspector of Fine Arts,^[3] and after World War II he was also managing director of the weekly Arts.^[1]

Cogniat was responsible for the French pavilion at the Venice Biennale between 1956 and 1960, and called for Paris to host a similar event. This resulted in André Malraux, Minister of Culture, establishing the Biennale de Paris in 1959, with Cogniat appointed as general delegate in charge of the event.^[4]

Cogniat was head of the arts section of Le Figaro from 1957 until his death.^[3] He died in Paris on 20 February 1977.

Works

• Décors de Théatre, Paris: Editrions des Chroniques du Jour, 1930.
• De la mise en scène: essai d'esthétique du théâtre, Paris, 1947.
• The century of the impressionists, London: Clematis Press, 1960. Translated by Graham Snell from Le siècle des impressionistes, Paris: Flammarion, 1959.
• Raoul Dufy, New York: Crown, 1962. Translated by Thomas L. Callow from the French Raoul Duffy, Paris: Éditions Braun & Cie, 1950.
• Cinquante ans de spectacles de France. Les decorateurs de theatre, Paris: Librarie theatrale, 1955
• Seventeenth-century painting, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1964. Translated by Frances Partridge.
• XXth century drawings and water-colors, New York: Crown Publishers, 1966. Translated by Anne Ross from the French Dessins et aquarelles du XXe siècle, Paris: Librarie Hachette, 1966.
• Monet and his world, London: Thames & Hudson, 1966. Translated by Wayne Diles from the French.
• Romanticism, London: Heron, 1968. Translated by Joan White from the French Le romantisme, Lausanne: Editions Rencontre, 1966.
• Braque, New York: Crown Publishers, 1970. Translated by Eileen B. Hennessy from the French Braque, Paris: Éditions Braun & Cie, 1970.
• Georges Braque, New York : Harry N. Abrams, 1980. Translated by I. Mark Paris from the French G. Braque, 1976.
• Sisley, New York: Crown Publishers, 1978. Translated by Alice Sachs from the French Sisley, Paris: Flammarion, 1978.

Notes and References

1. 'Raymond Cogniat', The Times, 15 March 1977.
2. Book: Bernal, Maria Clara. Redes intelectuales: Arte y política en América Latina. 2015. Ediciones Uniandes-Universidad de los Andes. 978-958-774-178-0. 597.
3. https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Raymond-Cogniat/589 Raymond Cogniat, contributor
4. Book: Hannah Feldman. From a Nation Torn: Decolonizing Art and Representation in France, 1945-1962. 2014. Duke University Press. 978-0-8223-9595-9. 78–9.