This book series explores various aspects of the history, composition, and arrangement of the art collection of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture from 1648 to the present day, aspiring to bridge a century-long gap in its study.

The first volume of the series is dedicated to reception pieces. Embodying the Académie’s admission practices, aesthetic canons, and social networks, reception pieces are key to understanding the collection, as well as a fascinating and overlooked research object in their own right. The volume will feature contributions by Melissa Hyde, Hannah Williams, Mark Ledbury, Susanna Caviglia, Yuriko Jackall, Catherine Girard, Alden Gordon, Antoine Gallay, and Sofya Dmitrieva. It is scheduled for publication in 2024 as part of the DFK Paris / University of Heidelberg Passages online series.