His research on the origins of modern art, and Symbolism in particular, led Andrei Nakov to take an interest in the movement that anticipated abstract art and Dada. In the aftermath of two public lectures on the subject (Musée d’Orsay, 1993 and Musée de Saint-Germain en Laye, 1994) he carried out research into the “Incoherents” movement (1882-1893).
Through its subversive impact and daring innovation, this Parisian movement, formed for the most part by illustrators, was one of the most original stages in late 19th-century art.