The collector's art museum as a Symbolic body.

The author reflects on the archaeological analysis of collector's museum which often interpreted as modern and more democratic successors to the princely collections of the past. He assesses that the eighteenth century scholars have discovered that the life of an artist could not be summed up by a collection of anecdotes. He believes that the symbolism structuring the collector's museum shares many similarities with the understanding of artistic creation in eighteenth century.