“What had those seen, up until 1900, whose reflections on art remain revealing or significant for us, and whom we assume to be speaking of the same works as we do […]? Two or three great museums, and the photographs, engravings or copies of a small part of the masterpieces of Europe. […] Today, a student has at his disposal the reproduction in color of most of the masterful works, discovers many secondary paintings, archaic arts, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and pre-Columbian sculptures of the high periods, a part of Byzantine art, Romanesque frescoes, wild and popular arts. […] we have at our disposal more significant works, to make up for the failings of our memory, than the largest museum could contain.

“Because an Imaginary Museum has opened, which will push to the extreme the incomplete confrontation imposed by real museums: responding to their call, the plastic arts have invented their printing press.”

— André Malraux