Since 1983 he has held the
Chair of History of Western
Symbolism (Chaire d'histoire de la symbolique occidentale) and is a director of studies at the Sorbonne's École pratique des hautes études. He is an academician of the Académie internationale d'héraldique (International Academy of Heraldry) and honorary president of the Société française d'héraldique et de sigillographie (French Heraldry and Sphragistic Society). When he received an honorary doctorate from the
University of Lausanne in 1996, he was described as an eminent scholar who has made a radical contribution to several disciplines.
Professor Pastoureau has published widely, including work on the history of colours, animals, symbols, and the
knights of the
Round Table. He has also written on
emblems and heraldry, as well as
sigillography and
numismatics.
L'ours. Histoire d'un roi déchu, éditions du Seuil, 2007
Les chevaliers de la Table ronde, éditions du Gui, 2006,
ISBN2-9517417-5-8
Une histoire symbolique du Moyen Âge occidental, Seuil, La librairie du XXIe siècle, Paris, 2004,
ISBN2-02-013611-2 (Trad. esp.: Una historia simbólica de la Edad Media occidental, Buenos Aires/Madrid, Katz editores S.A, 2006,
ISBN84-935187-3-5)
Traité d'héraldique (Col. Grands manuels Picard). Paris: Picard éditeur, 1st. 1979 (2nd. ed. 1993; 3rd, 1997; 4th. 2003, revised and augmented; 5th ed. 2008). The 4th ed. [
ISBN2-7084-0703-1] added a Part IV, entitled "Quinze ans de recherches Héraldiques" where a state-of-the-art is attempted and three case-studies are presented.
Bleu: Histoire d'une couleur, éditions du Seuil, 2000
Les animaux célèbres, Bonneton, 2001
Les emblèmes de la France, éditions Bonneton, Paris, 1998
Jésus chez le teinturier: couleurs et teintures dans l'Occident médiéval, Le Léopard d'or, Paris, 1997,
ISBN2-86377-150-7