French Literature Reviews - 2026

Sophie Cras, L'œil capitaliste. Musées, commerce et colonisation
History, Politics and Society

At the end of the 19th century, a new type of museum emerged and achieved widespread success across Europe and the rest of the world: the commercial museum. These institutions went hand in hand with the globalization of trade and colonial enterprises. The vast collections amassed within these museums were not meant for aesthetic contemplation, but served the interests of economic intelligence and the commodification of the world. They subsequently fell into complete obscurity: their collections were tucked away or even destroyed, and their buildings repurposed. Rediscovering them means understanding the museum as an instrument of trade policy, and re-reading the history of capitalism and colonization as a history of visual culture.

Table of contents online via Cairn…

An art historian specializing in contemporary European and North American art, Sophie Cras teaches at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. Her research explores the intersections of contemporary art and capitalism while examining the colonial roots of museum practices. She is the co-author (with Charlotte Guichard) of Vendre son art de la Renaissance à nos jours, Seuil, 2025.

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An article discussing this book can be read on en-attendant-nadeau.fr:

Commercial museums arose across Europe and internationally near the close of the nineteenth century, developing alongside expanding global commerce and colonial enterprises. As institutions distinct from traditional spaces of aesthetic contemplation, they functioned as instruments of economic intelligence and trade policy. Over time, these establishments largely fell into obscurity, with their collections dispersed or destroyed and their architecture adapted for alternative uses. Readers interested in the history of museums, visual culture, and nineteenth-century economic structures may find this volume relevant to their pursuits.

"L’art contextuel", by Paul Bernard-Nouraud (published online June 16, 2026).