Through next June, the Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet in Paris is letting viewers (re)discover the work of Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) with an incredible exhibition. Clemenceau, le Tigre et l’Asie retraces the life of this exemplary man through a mixture of works from his own collection, ranging from vintage prints and original photographs to decorative arts and paintings.
“Live as if you’ll never die.” That was the motto of this great political figure nicknamed “The Tiger.” Living in a time of colonial expansion masquerading as a “civilizing mission” must have been like torture to Clemenceau. He was a champion of dialogue between cultures and a staunch humanist, openly displaying anti-colonialist beliefs in a speech given to the Chambre des Députés on July 31st, 1885, to oppose French policies in Tonkin and China: “Since that time, I have looked twice before turning to a man or a civilization and calling it inferior! […] With the great Buddhist religion which left India for China, with the great artworks whose remains can still be seen today! The Chinese—an inferior race! With a civilization whose origins are unknown. Confucius—inferior?”