If, in the 18th century, “bizarre” is negative and “genius” positive, it is first of all because both these figures are commonly characterised by distance from a given norm. Their relationship to each other is articulated by the polyvalent notion of “originality”, evaluated according to how it is taken in by the community. The bizarre is what gets stuck in the rift between custom and innovation, while genius bridges it, thus bringing to light the difficult negociation between the singular and the common.