Thomas Schlesser

Thomas Schlesser is a distinguished French art historian, educator, and writer. He serves as the director of the Hartung-Bergman Foundation in Antibes and teaches art history at prestigious institutions including École Polytechnique in Paris.

Over his career, Schlesser has authored numerous critically acclaimed works of nonfiction, exploring topics such as the politics of art, aesthetic resistance, and the intersections of art and society—titles include L’Univers sans l’Homme – Les arts contre l’anthropocentrisme (2016), Faire rêver – de l’art des Lumières au cauchemar publicitaire (2019), and a poignant biography of artist Anna-Eva Bergman, Vies lumineuses (2022).

In 2025, Schlesser received Livres Hebdo’s Author of the Year award.

His debut novel, Mona’s Eyes (Les Yeux de Mona), marks his first foray into fiction. It follows a 10-year-old girl, Mona, and her grandfather as they journey through 52 masterpieces of Western art—one per week—over the course of a year, as Mona faces the potential loss of her sight. The novel has been translated into dozens of languages, including Braille, and brings together aesthetics, emotion, and life lessons in a uniquely moving way.

Schlesser’s writing belongs to both the scholarly and the heartfelt, inviting readers to explore beauty, memory, and meaning through art and human connection.