The Barbus Müller: Their Enigmatic Sculptor Finally Unmasked

Jean Dubuffet discovered them in 1945 in the studio of the Japanese pedestal maker Inagaki. Fascinated by these strange creations with a striking family resemblance, he baptized them all “Barbus Müller”, probably after the beard that certain pieces sport and the name of Josef Müller, who had acquired the greatest number of them.

He published them in a small leaflet, which contains the founding text on his concept of Art Brut (reissued as an insert in the exhibition catalogue). He also organized an exhibition in 1947 at the Foyer de l’Art Brut in Paris. He later acquired three pieces of this kind.