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Iris Clert

1918 – 1986

French art dealer

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About Iris Clert

Lived 1918 – 1986 (aged 67–68). Iris Clert was a French art dealer and art collector.

Iris Clert (; Iris Athanasiadi; 1917 – 1986) was a Greek-born art gallery owner and curator. She owned the Iris Clert Gallery in Paris from 1955 to 1971. During its tenure, her gallery became an avant-garde hotspot in the international art scene, particularly to Yves Klein, Jean Tinguely and Arman.

Originally of Greek nationality, Clert moved to Paris in the 1930s. She became active in the French Resistance during the Second World War.

In 1961, Clert invited Robert Rauschenberg, who would become one of the forerunners of the Neo-Dada movement, to participate in an exhibition at the gallery, in which artists were to create and display a portrait of Clert. Rauschenberg proceeded to send a telegram to the Gallery, containing the words "This is a portrait of Iris Clert if I say so/ Robert Rauschenberg". This turned out to be a seminal piece for Rauschenberg, signifying a step away from the Dadaist work of Marcel Duchamp and Jasper Johns – which tended to focus on the role of the observer in applying meaning to a work of art – and towards a more active role of the creator in defining art's meaning.

In 1978, Clert published her autobiography titled Iris-time: l'artventure.

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Important facts

Born
1918, Athens
Birth century
Nationality

People in Iris Clert's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Iris Clert's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Iris Clert?

French art dealer (1918-1986)

When was Iris Clert born?

Iris Clert was born in 1918 in Athens.

When did Iris Clert die?

Iris Clert died on 15 August 1986 in Cannes.

What was Iris Clert's occupation?

Iris Clert was an art dealer and art collector.

What nationality was Iris Clert?

Iris Clert was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Iris Clert

· Wikidata: Q534073

· DBpedia: Iris Clert

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Iris Clert. https://biography.guide/iris-clert/

MLA: "Iris Clert." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/iris-clert/.

Chicago: "Iris Clert." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/iris-clert/.

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