Surrealist Heraldry. Les quinzaines héraldiques by Marcel Jean (1950), a peculiar case of 20th century imaginary heraldry

Abstract

This article reviews a corpus of 24 coats of arms, created in 1950 by the surrealist artist Marcel Jean and attributed to artists, precursors or members of the same movement. In a certain sense, it’s a rare repertoire of imaginary heraldry, referring to personages who lived in the modern era. The author, while observing the rules of heraldry, expresses his artistic talent through the use of unusual colors and figures, managing to summarize the traits of complex and controversial personalities such as those of the protagonists of the surrealist movement.