ART on view MM: I also think that what distinguishes Ratton from his predecessors was his interest in courtly art, which was not unrelated to his predilection for Haute Époque art. Instead of choosing works that were radically different 80 from Western art, he was interested in naturalistic creations, especially ones made of precious materials like ivory or bronze, and in works where the dates and histories were known. His vision was very unlike that which had prevailed up to his time, which lumped all extra-European art into the categories of “primitive” art or “art nègre.” Instead of concentrating on the “otherness” of these arts, he sought to find relationships in naturalistic and even realistic forms that more closely resembled the art of the West. PD: In one of the rare autobiographical texts that we found in the archives, which dates from 1932–1933, he wrote: “The arts that are mistakenly referred to as primitive ... .” His idea was that African and Oceanic art was as beautiful and fully developed as the arts of other periods and places. The notion that they were “primitive” was anathema to him and he disdained the term. It is important to remember that toward the end of his life, he tried repeatedly to give his collection to the Louvre and was systematically rejected, which saddened him deeply. He was told that his works belonged in the Musée de la Porte Dorée, but he donated nothing there because he felt these works properly belonged in the Louvre. In other words—and everyone tends to forget this—when the Pavillon des Sessions finally opened at the Louvre in 2000, Ratton’s dream was realized at long last. TAM: After two years of research and an exhibition, what is left for you to find out about Ratton? PD: Many things! This exhibition does not pretend to be the last word. We have certainly brought to light much about the man’s life and even the books he used. In the course of our work, we also gained some insight into his private life. If, for example, one were to ask me what I think he enjoyed most, I would guess (although I might be wrong) that his moments of greatest pleasure might have come in the evenings when, alone, he would write descriptions for auction catalogs and, in his capacity as an expert, explain the functions of objects and gather scholarly details about them. But mystery still surrounds the figure of Charles Ratton. We still don’t know why the son of a milliner in Burgundy left his native Macon for Paris, where he developed a passion for the Oceanic and African art to which he devoted his entire life. FIG. 11: Box. Kuba, Democratic Republic of Congo. Wood. L: 37 cm. Ex Charles Ratton. Guy Ladrière, Paris. © 100% Photo. FIG. 10: Mask. Dan, Côte d’Ivoire. Wood. H: 28 cm. Ex Charles Ratton. Guy Ladrière, Paris. © 100% Photo.
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