Christian Zervos

Christian Zervos (; Argostoli, Cefalonia, Greece, January 1, 1889 – September 12, 1970, Paris) was a Greek-French art historian, critic, collector, writer and publisher.

Born in Cefalonia and raised in Alexandria and Marseille, in 1911 Zervos moved to Paris to study philosophy. In 1916 he became the editor of the magazines L'Art d'aujourd'hui and Les arts de la maison. Zervos subsequently founded the magazine Cahiers d'art (1926–1960) in Paris, and ran an art gallery.

He was a connoisseur of modern painting in his time, and of Greek art and prehistoric art. He published several books, of which the most important are: The Art of Crete, The Art of the Cyclades, L'art de l'époque du Renne en France, and a catalogue raisonné of the work of Pablo Picasso.

M. Christian Durquet, Conservator of Patrimony at the Musée de l'Art Contemporain, ordered the establishment of a Zervos Museum at Vézelay.

Salvador Dalí once credited him with being the 'most mediocre person that ever existed.'

Publications

Raoul Dufy, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1928 Catalogue raisonné des œuvres de Pablo Picasso, éditions Cahiers d'art, Paris, 1932-1978 Art de la Mésopotamie, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1935 Matthias Grünewald : le retable d'Isenheim, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1936 Art de la Catalogne, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1937 Histoire de l'art contemporain, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1938 Dessins de Picasso, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1949 Fernand Léger : œuvres de 1905 à 1952, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1952 Civilisation de la Sardaigne : néolithique au nouragique, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1954 L'art des Cyclades, du début à la fin de l'âge du bronze, 2500-1100 avant notre ère, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1957 Corpora, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1957 Chauvin, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1960 Brâncuși, éditions Cahiers d'art, 1957