André Malraux

André Malraux (November 3, 1901 – November 23, 1976) was a French writer, art theorist, and statesman. He holds a unique place in the history of French literature, having served as a minister in two French governments and contributed to the French Resistance during World War II. He was also a widely acclaimed novelist and essayist whose works sought to explore the role of the individual in a larger political and social context.

Malraux was born in Paris and grew up in Paris and Le Havre. At the age of nineteen he enrolled in the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, but later left to pursue a career in the French theatre and cinema. His first works as a playwright and screenwriter, Les Noyers de l’Altenburg (1927) and La Voix du Sang (1929), attracted attention for their daring treatment of taboo sexual topics. He also wrote a number of novels, including La Condition Humaine (1933), which won the Grand Prix du Roman in 1933 and has been translated into many languages.

Malraux’s works often drew inspiration from his experiences as part of the French Resistance during World War II. His novel Man’s Fate (La Condition Humaine), which was based on his involvement in the Shanghai mutiny, won him the Prix Goncourt in 1933. In addition to his novels, Malraux wrote a number of works on art and art theory, including a book on the Chinese painters and sculptors of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries titled L’espoir (1937).

In addition to his artistic and literary pursuits, Malraux was an active participant in French politics. He served in the governments of Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou from 1959 to 1969. He was particularly active in promoting French culture abroad, and during his time as Minister of Culture, he made several trips to the United States to spread French culture. His efforts included facilitating the exchange of art, literature, theater, and film. Malraux also worked to extend French influence onto international art scenes, such as helping establish the French pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1956 and promoting the first Festival of Nations in Paris in 1967.

Malraux also continued to write, publishing his second volume of memoirs in 1969, which focused on his experience as a Resistance fighter during World War II. He is particularly remembered for his groundbreaking book The Metamorphosis of the Gods (1946), a philosophical work that explores the use of myth in literature to convey psychological and spiritual truths. Malraux is also credited with introducing existentialism into France, after the publication of his acclaimed novel The Human Condition.

Malraux was one of the most remarkable figures in French history, and his achievements are still celebrated. He is remembered for his contributions to history, politics, culture, and art, and for his lasting impact on French literature. Malraux’s legacy is perhaps best summed up in the words of French president François Mitterand, who said upon Malraux’s death, “France lost one of her finest sons. The world of culture lost one of its greatest and most inspiring men.” Malraux’s works remain popular to this day and his life and works continue to be studied and admired by many.