At the end of In Search of Lost Time, Proust has the writer Bergotte pass away in front of Vermeer's View of Delft. Remembering that a detail of the painting, the "little patch of yellow wall", had once inspired him, he was seized by one final sentiment of time regained.

Twenty-two authors use an artwork from the museum as a starting point for fiction, creating a novel encounter between writing and the museum.

With Vassilis Alexakis, Dominique Barbéris, Clémence Boulouque, Frédéric Boyer, Geneviève Brisac, Catherine Cusset, Chloé Delaume, Agnès Desarthe, Maryline Desbiolles, Christophe Donner, Anne-Marie Garat, Adrien Gœtz, Camille Laurens, Linda Lê, Gila Lustiger, Gérard Macé, Daniel Maximin, Éric Reinhardt, François Reynaert, Lydie Salvayre, Pierre Senges, Anne Serre.