Mirabilia
8021 Written in stone
Minerals collected and described by Roger Caillois
Edited by Stefano Salis. Texts by: Roger Caillois, Marguerite Yourcenar, Carlo Ossola, François Farges.
2023 / 136 PAGES.
Language: Italian and English
Though belonging to the mineral kingdom, the rocks and stones belonging to Roger Caillois’ collection are miraculously similar to works of art: this book gathers a detailed selection and tells us about the French author.
Moving from the mysterious yet fascinating connection between two seemingly distant universes – minerals and art – that actually mirror one another, this volume presents the most beautiful rocks from Caillois’ collection while describing the character of this atypical 20th-century intellectual. His essays on rocks have been reintroduced, while texts by other others define his personality, the cultural climate in which he lived and certain natural wonders. Stefano Salis introduces us to Caillois’ world and literary critic Carlo Ossola outlines the cultural climate in which he lives and worked. Furthermore, François Farges, custodian of the collection, retraces its origins and growth. The central part of the volume contains a selection of essays by Caillois on rocks, and his masterfully chosen words are a blend of geological knowledge and mysticism, of science and art.
Closing the volume is the speech given by Marguerite Yourcenar following Caillois’ death and on occasion of her election to the prestigious Académie de France – a speech retracing the life and works of her predecessor.