A Study of the Literary Theories and Art Criticism of Emile Zola and Joris-Karl Huysmans
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Durham E-Theses A study of the literary theories and art criticism of Emile Zola and Joris-Karl Huysmans Burdon, Jennifer How to cite: Burdon, Jennifer (1975) A study of the literary theories and art criticism of Emile Zola and Joris-Karl Huysmans, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10424/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ABSTRACT An examination is made* in this dissertation, of the art criticism of Zola and Huysmans. Chapter One provides a biographical framework; this is based mainly on correspondence between Zola and Huysmans. Chapter Two contains an expose of Zola's literary theory, with especial reference to Le Roman experimental, and includes a discussion of realism and Naturalism making reference to the writings of Balzac, Flaubert and Goneourt. The particular characteristics of Zola's literary theory are pointed out: his insistence upon truth and the author's individuality; this is paralleled in his art criticism, as Chapter Four illustrates. Chapter Three examines Huysmans' literary theory with reference to his novels and the differences between Huysmans' Naturalism and Zola's. The increasing importance of the spiritual element, yet continued adherence to Naturalist practice is illustrated. Chapter Four begins with a description of the world of the arts in Paris when Zola wrote his "Salons". This is followed by an account of Zola's relationships with Independent painters of his time. Finally an examination of Zola's writings on art is made, and the formula by which he expressed his art theory is discussed: "Une ceuvre d'art est un coin de la creation vu a. travers un temperament.n The qualities Zola admired in a painter (and which reflected characteristics of his own writing) are observed: the vigour and solidity of Courbet, the sincerity of Manet and the Impressionists. It is further observed that the avant-garde realist painters appealed to a democratic sense in Zola, although his views on the technique of painting, essentially conservative, could not fully embrace the Impressionists' avant-garde technique. Chapter Five follows a similar pattern to the previous chapter 1 and contains a discussion of Huysmans writings on art, commenting on his acumen and objectivity as critic in appreciating the work of Impressionists, Cezanne, Gauguin and others. The increasing subjectivity, however, and preoccupation with spiritual rather than artistic matters parallels the development in his novel-writing, as illustrated in Chapter Three. In conclusion, an assessment is attempted of the critical writings on art of Zola and Huysmans. A STPDY OP THE LITERARY THEORIES AND ART CRITICISM OF SMILE ZOLA AND JQRIS-KARL HUYSMANS JENNIFER BDRDOU Submitted for the degree of Master of Arts June 1975 Tbiiversity of Durham The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. ACKK0WLEIDGEMENT3 I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Sr. E. J. Kearns for his sound advice and patient correction of the text. I am also indebted to the director of the Musee Gustave Moreau., II. Jean Paladilhe, who kindly allowed me to consult the Cahiers Gustave Moreau, and to Anita Brookner of the Courtauld Institute for her written encouragement. ABBREVIATIONS O.C. - CEUVEES COMPLETES The volume number of a work to which the reader is referred is given before the page reference, e.g. Zola: O.C., 7, p. 34* B.N. - Bibliotheque Nationale. n. in the Index refers to a footnote. Only the author and title of a work and where necessary the title of the newspaper in which an article was printed are given in the footnotes. For full publication details, the reader is referred to the Bibliography. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE RELATIONS BETWEEN ZOLA AND HDYSMANS 3 CHAPTER TWO ZOLA'S LITERARY THEORY: Haturalism: Influence of realist novelists; the Goncourts and the "roman documehtaire"; a definition of Naturalism. 12 Le Roman Experimental. 19 CHAPTER THREE HUY5MANS' LITERARY THEORY 32 Smile Zola et L'Assommoir 36 Development in Huysmans1 Theory from A Rebours onwards. 48 CHAPTER FOUR ZOLA'S ART APPRECIATION AND THEORY The scene in the world of the Arts in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century. 56 Zola's relations with painters. 73 Zola's art criticism and theory. 82 Zola's articles of 1866 * 8? Zola'-s articles of 1867 97 Zola's articles of 1868 104 Zola's art criticism from 1872 onwards 106 "Peinture", Zola's article of I896 112 SUMMARY 114 CHAPTER FIVE HUYSMANS' ART APPRECIATION AND THEORY Artistic trends of the Eighteen Eighties and Nineties 117 Individual painters and their relationships with Huysmans: Puvis de Chavannes 132 Gustave Moreau 133 Odilon Redon 136 Forain, Raffaelli and Hops 138 (continued overleaf) CHAPTER FIVE HUYSMANS' ART CRITICISM AMD THEORY (continued) L'Art Moderne Huysmans' attitude to the 'juste milieu' artists. Huysmans' opinion of Manet. Certains. Puvis de Chavannes. Gustave Moreau. Degas. Cezanne, Bartholome, Raffaelli, Stevens, Tissot, Wagner, Forain, Cheret, Whistler. Rops. "Le Monstre" Goyai and Turner. "La Salle des Etats au Louvre." Bianchi. Trois Primitifs. SUMMARY. CONCLUSION . \- CHRONOLOGY . BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX !: i : i- ETORODUCTIQN II y a plus de veritable critique dans 1* appreciation inspiree d'un artiste &.u d'un poete que dans toutes les combinaisons systematiques des professeurs et des erudits. (l) The most perceptive art critic of mid-nineteenth century France was, without doubt, Baudelaire. (2) His writings on art bear out the thought expressed above by Moreau. Zola and Huysmans both owed much to Baudelaire. Like Baudelaire, they gave their opinions, as literary men, on the artists of their period. In their individual ways, each contributed to the changing artistic attitudes of the second half of the century; and,remarkably, each had the gift of appreciating the i. qualities of contemporary artists whose names are still respected today - Manet, Degas, Redon and others. It is proposed, in this dissertation, to examine the art criticism of Zola and Huysmans, and to evaluate its importance. Chapter One is concerned with the biographical relationship between the two authors. Since it has been found desirable to take into account the literary theories of Zola and Huysmans-, which, in both cases, have a direct relationship to their art theory, Chapters Two and Three deal with the literary attitudes of Zola and Huysmans respectively. Chapter Four contains an analysis of Zola's writings on art and artists, Chapter Five an examination of Huysmans• art criticism. In conclusion, an attempt is made to assess the significance of the two authors' opinions. The implications and further possible lines of thought developing from these are also discussed. The period when the two novelists were formulating their critical views (approximately 1865 to 1890) was one of change and renewal in the (1) Moreau : Cahiers, vol. 2, p.55. (2) Baudelaire : 0^., vols. L'Art romantique and Curiosites esthetiques ? fields of art and literature. The work of Realist painters shook the roots of the established school of painting, while Zola's Naturalist novels created both controversy- and the inspiration for a new group of writers - the "groupe de Medan" as they became known - of which Huysmans was an enthusiastic member. Zola's writings on &rt played a leading part in defending Manet during the scandal raised by the painter's work. Huysmans' critical writings span the work of Manet and the Impressionists and also of painters who reacted against the Realist movement of the fifties and sixties. In some ways, Huysmans' later art criticism forms the opposite partner to Zola's, the contrast being between Symbolism (or dream-painting) and Naturalism, (l) However, the two critics do not fall comfortably into these simple categories. There are elements of the idealist and of the realist in both. Their criticism is enlightening from two points of view: firstly, it widens our appreciation of the artists discussed and, secondly, it gives insight into their own particular artistic beliefs and tastes. (l) These two terms will be defined during the course of the dissertation* 3 CHAPTER ONE RELATIONS BETWEEN ZOLA AND HUYSMANS This Chapter contains a brief account of the relationship shared by Zola and Huysmans in social, literary and artistic affairs. The evidence cited is mainly that found in letters exchanged by the two men. (l) Huysmans, eight years younger than Zola, became first an admirer, then a literary collaborator with the latter and an ardent exponent of Naturalism (as Chapter Three will illustrate). However, the association between the two literary figures was to • i- diminish in later years after the publication of A Rebours, the novel in which Huysmans betrayed his anti-Naturalist tendencies. (2) The contents of this Chapter are largely factual, the intention being to give a biographical basis to the literary and artistic views of Zola and Huysmans contained in the following Chapters. Huysmans met Zola in 1876, when Henry Ceard accompanied him to ., Zola's house in the Rue St.