Jean-Claude Arnault
Jean-Claude Arnault (ʒɑ̃ klod aʁno; born 15 August 1946), known in Swedish media as kulturprofilen ("the cultural personage", but commonly translated literally as "the cultural profile"), is a French-Swedish convicted sex offender. He worked as a photographer and is the former artistic director of the cultural center Forum – Nutidsplats för kultur ("Forum – Contemporary Scene for Culture") Stockholm. Arnault became widely known after several accusations of sexual assault levelled against him precipitated a scandal resulting in the resignations of members of the Nobel Committee and the postponement of the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Jean-Claude Arnault

Dick Schager · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Jean-Claude Arnault
- Born
- 15 August 1946
- Birthplace
- Marseille, France
- Occupation
- *Photographer
- Spouse
- Katarina Frostenson
- Nationality
- Sweden · France
- Fields
- photography · art · sexual harassment
- Honours
- Knight Officer of the Order of the Polar Star
- Languages
- French · Swedish
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Jean-Claude Arnault (ʒɑ̃ klod aʁno; born 15 August 1946), known in Swedish media as kulturprofilen ("the cultural personage", but commonly translated literally as "the cultural profile"), is a French-Swedish convicted sex offender. He worked as a photographer and is the former artistic director of the cultural center Forum – Nutidsplats för kultur ("Forum – Contemporary Scene for Culture") Stockholm. Arnault became widely known after several accusations of sexual assault levelled against him precipitated a scandal resulting in the resignations of members of the Nobel Committee and the postponement of the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature.
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Jean-Claude Arnault (born 1946) is an artistic director and photographer, of French and Swedish nationality. The artistic director was born in Marseille.
Jean-Claude Arnault worked for Forum. Activity centred on art, photography and sexual harassment. Languages used include French and Swedish.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q5559431 · wikipedia · Jean-Claude Arnault
In this article
Biography
Biography
These events occurred against the background of the Me Too movement. In 2018, he was found guilty of two sexual assaults and sentenced to two years and six months in prison. He appealed the sentence to the Supreme Court of Sweden on the basis of judicial disqualification. On 5 May 2019, the court decided not to grant leave to appeal and the verdict from the lower court was subsequently enforced.

Jean-Claude Arnault headed to hall 34 on the last day of trial on September 24, 2018.
Dick Schager

Jean-Claude Arnault headed to hall 34 on the last day of trial on September 24, 2018.
Dick Schager
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jean-Claude Arnault • Born — 15 August 1946 • Birthplace — Marseille, France • Occupation — *Photographer • Artistic director • Criminal Penalty — 2 years and 6 months • Spouse — Katarina Frostenson • Illustration — The entrance to Forum.
Life
Life
Arnault was born in Marseille, France. He won Natur & Kultur's cultural award in 2008. He is married to former Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostenson.
Sexual assault allegations and rape conviction
Sexual assault allegations and rape conviction
In November 2017, in the wake of the Me Too movement, eighteen women accused Arnault of sexual assault, alleged to have occurred over the course of 20 years. This caused the Swedish Academy to break all financial ties with him. Swedish media have reported that he groped Swedish Crown Princess Victoria at an academy event in 2006. At the same time, his wife Katarina Frostenson was accused of corruption for not informing the Swedish Academy about conflicts of interest when distributing subsidies for her husband's cultural center. The Swedish Academy believes he leaked the names of seven winners of the Nobel Prize in literature. Arnault denied all allegations. On 1 October 2018, Arnault was convicted of one count of rape and sentenced to two years in prison as well as a SEK 115,000 fine. Arnault appealed the verdict. On 3 December 2018, the Svea Court of Appeal increased the sentence and found Arnault guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced him to two years and six months in prison. The fine was raised to SEK 215,000. Following his conviction, Arnault was also stripped of his knighthood in the Order of the Polar Star, which he had been granted in 2015.
Repercussions
Repercussions
In the wake of the accusations, the Swedish Academy suffered a considerable blow to its reputation. Academy member Klas Östergren left the academy and academy members Sara Danius, Peter Englund, Kjell Espmark and Frostenson ceased taking part in the academy's work, leading to concerns about the future of the academy. On 27 April 2018, Sara Stridsberg left the academy in solidarity with Sara Danius. Due to the scandal and a perceived tarnishing of the Nobel Committee's reputation, the Nobel Prize in Literature was postponed until 2019. The New Academy Prize in Literature was created as an alternative to the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Imprisonment
Imprisonment
Arnault was an inmate in Skogome Prison, a high-security prison for sex offenders; Swedish media reported that he was disciplined for breaking prison rules by making sexist comments towards a female warder. In late 2019 he was transferred to another prison at Tillberga. Arnault was conditionally released from prison in May 2020.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Institutional cataloguing adds that jean-Claude Arnault is recorded with the occupation photographer. Recorded with the occupation artistic director. Recorded as a citizen of Sweden. Institutional cataloguing adds that jean-Claude Arnault is recorded with the gender male. Born on 15 August 1946.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Jean-Claude Arnault”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5559431: Jean-Claude Arnault
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Krisens kärna – ”Akademien legitimerade Arnault" , SVD
- 2.Scandal in Sweden: Nobel prize for literature faces #MeToo moment , The Guardian
- 3.Henley, Jon. Jean-Claude Arnault, man at centre of Nobel scandal, jailed for rape. the Guardian. 1 October 2018.
- 4.Supreme Court of Sweden. Överklagandet från den man som i media benämns som "kulturprofilen" – Högsta domstolen skjuter på prövningen. 2019-03-05.
- 5.Den man som i media benämns som "kulturprofilen" får inte prövningstillstånd - Högsta domstolen.
- 6.Tidigare års kulturpristagare – Natur och Kultur. www.nok.se.
- 7.Flood, Alison. Nobel prize in literature 2018 cancelled after sexual assault scandal. the Guardian. 4 May 2018.
- 8.Anderson, Christina. Jean-Claude Arnault, Central Figure in Nobel Scandal, Is Jailed for Rape. The New York Times. 1 October 2018. 0362-4331.
- 9.Uppgifter: Kulturprofilen läckte Nobelpristagare – Nyheter (Ekot). Sveriges Radio.
- 10.Jean-Claude Arnaults maktspel – hot, löften och misstänkta övergrepp. Expressen.
- 11.Noack, Rick. Nobel literature prize canceled this year, following academy's own #MeToo scandal. Washington Post. 4 May 2018.
- 12.Sara Stridsberg lämnar Svenska Akadamien. Expressen.
- 13.Photographer 'groped' princess at Swedish Academy event – BBC News. BBC News. 29 April 2018.
- 14.Lindkvist, Hugo. Kulturprofilen döms till fängelse för våldtäkt. Dagens Nyheter. 1 October 2018.
- 15.Malmgren, Kim. Jean-Claude Arnault döms till två års fängelse. Expressen. 1 October 2018.
- 16.Kulturprofilen överklagar våldtäktsdomen [The cultural profile appeals his rape verdict]. Sveriges Radio. 4 October 2018.
- 17.The Local. Tougher sentence for Jean-Claude Arnault after appeals trial. 3 December 2018.
- 18.Återkallelse av riddarvärdighet av Nordstjärneorden - Sveriges Kungahus. www.kungahuset.se.
- 19.The Swedish Academy. Chair no. 13 – Sara Stridsberg.
- 20.Swedish Academy misconduct crisis deepens as member Stridsberg leaves. Reuters. 28 April 2018.
- 21.Henley, Jon. Nobel prize in literature 2018 cancelled after sexual assault scandal. the Guardian. 4 May 2018.
- 22.Rape charges in Nobel Prize scandal. BBC News. 12 June 2018.
- 23.Brown, Andrew. The ugly scandal that cancelled the Nobel prize. 17 July 2018.
- 24.Löfgren, Emma. Four writers shortlisted for 'the new Nobel Literature Prize'. The Local. 29 August 2018.
- 25.Arnault i fängelset: Hade det inte varit snyggt om ni haft bikinis på er?.
- 26.Kulturprofilen Arnault flyttas till Tillbergaanstalten.
- 27.Arnault släpps ut från fängelset – flyttar hem.
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1- SwedenPlace
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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