André Malraux
A novelist of revolutionary anguish who later shaped France's cultural identity as its first Minister of Cultural Affairs.
1901–1976 (age 75)·French novelist, art theorist, and statesman·Birthday: November 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
André Malraux lived a life of action and intellect that seemed to span the century's great upheavals. As a young man, he sought adventure in Indochina and later fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, experiences that fueled novels like 'Man's Fate,' a profound meditation on revolution and sacrifice. During World War II, he was a tank commander, was captured, escaped, and joined the French Resistance. After the war, he forged a deep alliance with Charles de Gaulle, who appointed him France's first Minister of Cultural Affairs. In that role, Malraux revolutionized the public's access to art, initiating the cleaning of Paris's soot-blackened monuments and creating 'Maisons de la Culture' across France. He shifted from writing fiction to expansive works of art history, arguing for a spiritual, almost mystical, power in artistic creation.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
André was born in 1901, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1901
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1901Born
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Started school
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Became a teenager
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could drive
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could vote
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Turned 21
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1931Turned 30
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 40
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 50
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 60
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 70
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Died at 75
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Prix Goncourt for his novel 'Man's Fate' (1933), a landmark work on the Chinese revolution.
- Served as France's first Minister of Cultural Affairs (1959-1969), establishing a lasting policy of state cultural support.
- Organized the groundbreaking 'The Treasure of Tutankhamun' exhibition in Paris in 1967.
- Authored a multi-volume work on art history, 'The Psychology of Art,' later published as 'The Voices of Silence.'
Did You Know?
He was charged with theft of antiquities from a Cambodian temple in his youth, a case that fueled his anti-colonial views.
He commanded the aerial squadron 'España' for the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War.
His official title under de Gaulle was 'Minister of State in charge of Cultural Affairs.'
He gave a famous eulogy for Resistance hero Jean Moulin when his ashes were transferred to the Panthéon.
“Art is a revolt against fate.”
