Salmon, André (1881-1969). Poet, novelist, and art critic. A very Parisian figure, Salmon is best remembered as an impresario and chronicler of the arts who did much to promote the ‘vie d'artiste’ in Montparnasse and the merits of artists such as Picasso and Modigliani who were among his familiars (see his Souvenirs sans fin, 3 vols., 1955-61). An eclectic and enthusiastic critic, he launched the review Le Festin d'Ésope with Apollinaire and Jacob in 1903. His intensely lyrical poetry, always tinged with nostalgia but often humorous and linguistically playful, is at its best in Créances (1926), Carreaux (1928), and Les Étoiles dans l'encrier (1952). Of his novels, the best is probably Le Manuscrit trouvé dans un chapeau (1919).
[Michael Sheringham]
