RIHA Journal 0145 | 15 January 2017 Performing Dumas. Architecture and Mise en Scène at the Château de Monte-Cristo Jesús Ángel Sánchez-García Art History Senior Lecturer at the University of Santia o de Co#$ostela, S$ain Abstract &hen Alexan!re Du#as p)re was at the pea+ of his success an! po$ularity, he was personally involve! in the desi n an! construction of the Ch,teau de -onte."risto (Port.-arly, France, 1847). The architectural an! orna#ental features of this lavish a6o!e can be inter$rete! as a re7ection of Du#as’ literary a#6ition, as a co#$lex aesthetic portrait. Du#as8 mise en sc)ne of his whole life as art*or+ pro#$te! hi# to create an ela6orate dis$lay of visual rhetoric, an inter$lay of i#a es an! wor!s develo$e! throu h a $hysical an! alle orical relationshi$ with a place now a$$ro$riate! by an! a6sor6e! into his persona. It is essential, therefore, that infor#ation on (u#as’ life an! literary career may be co#6ine! with an icono ra$hic analysis as a means of deco!in the meanin s boun! u$ in the s$ectacle 6uil!in s at the Ch,teau de Monte."risto4 Contents 0rolo ue Act I: Perfor#in Du#as Act II9 J’ai#e qui m’ai#e 5he curtain rises … an! then falls 1inally, *e <n! ourselves 6efore the ch,teau of Alexan!re (u#as% a Monte "risto no less fa#ous than the novel to *hich it o*es its na#e.1 0itre."hevalier% =0ro#ena!es au' environs !e 0aris. -arly.Le-Roy>% in9 -usée !es fa#illes. Lectures !u soir 11 (Au ust 12473% @@54 A1B 5he #ost $ro!uctive $erio! of Alexan!re (u#as8 literary career% s$annin the years 1843 to 1847, was un!ou6te!ly the $ea+ of his success an! $o$ularity4 It was at this ti#e that (u#as also $ro#ote! an! 6eca#e $ersonally involve! in the !esi n of two 6uil!in s envisa e! as sta es u$on 1 Unless other*ise in!icate!% the fnal version of this $a$er% inclu!in 1rench te'ts, *as translate! 6y Ja#es "al!er (freelance translator34 The author also *ishes to reco nise !i ital resources on Ale'an!re Du#as hel! 6y Callica /DE1) an! especially the Soci?t? !es A#is !8Ale'an!re Du#as /***4!u#aspere4co#34 RIHA Journal 0145 | 15 January 2017 which his !rea#s coul! 6e acte! out9 the 5h?,tre.Histori:ue on the Doulevar! !u 5e#$le in 0aris% an! the "h,teau !e -onte."risto% in near6y 0ort.-arly, Fvelines% 6oth of which were co#$lete! in 1847. 5hou h 6uilt for !iGerent $ur$oses% they were 6oth conceive! as s$ectacle 6uil!in s% the for#er a #anifestation of (u#as8 co##it#ent to the revival of 1rench theatre an! the latter $roclai#in the foun!ations an! hall#ar+s of his own literary lory4 Havin reache! the $innacle of his career% (u#as !eci!e! to use stone as an alternative #eans of co##unication to $en an! $a$er% his $ur$ose in doin so to astonish the au!ience with new wor+s of art !esi ne! to re7ect an! proHect his personality4 A2B (u#as8 literary success an! the <nancial security it 6rou ht hi# ave hi# the #eans to $ursue his unusual interest in architecture% as a !evelo$er an! even a co.!esi ner4 -aterial *ealth $resente! the writer with an o$$ortunity to !erive $leasure fro# 6uil!in s he coul! feel were his own% so#ethin $reviously of no concern to hi#4 Is$ecially $ro#inent in this ne* $ursuit was the "h,teau !e -onte."risto% which in its ca$acity as his ne* $lace of $rivate resi!ence was inevita6ly #ore closely i!enti<e! with its owner than the theatre s$ace4 In fact% as a #eans of $roHectin his su6Hective self% this luxurious an! eclectic a6o!e #ay 6e re ar!e! in its near.in!exical relationshi$ to (u#as8 $ersona as a !iscursive tool for analysin strate ies of e'$ression an! re#e#6rance% an a$$roach $ursue! 6y Haral! Hen!ri' in his stu!y of houses !esi ne! 6y writers who then live! in the#42 In accor!ance *ith Hen!rix’s line of ar u#ent% the architectural an! orna#ental features !esi ne! for the "h,teau !e -onte."risto can 6e $ri#arily inter$rete! as a re7ection of (u#as8 literary a#6ition% as a co#$le' aesthetic $ortrait4 Althou h other narratives #ay 6e !etecte! here% ran in fro# the self.re ar!in #aterial e'$ression of his in!ivi!uality an! uni:ueness% to the !esire to construct a creative haven% or the nostal ia. tin e! evocation of his fore6ears% his entire contri6ution is un!er$inne! 6y a #anifest an! a#6itious !esire to e'$lore an! !ra* on ne* an! alternative #eans of e'$ression to co#$le#ent his literary wor+4 A@B Jiewe! as a whole% (u#as8 involve#ent in the !esi n an! construction of the Ch,teau de -onte."risto can 6e seen as a res$onse to an inner desire to e'$lain certain +ey characteristics of his $ersonality, $articularly those #ost closely lin+e! to his creative wor+ as an artist4 It is for that reason that the 6uil!in shoul! 6e inter$rete! as a $ortrait% one that is un!ou6te!ly narcissistic in nature% as its outwar! a$$earance is noticea6ly 6oun! to the fol!s of the various historic an! artistic a!orn#ents that su$$ort it. At a ti#e of $ersonal success an! security, (u#as8 inter$retation of his whole life as art $ro#$te! hi# to create an ela6orate !is$lay of visual rhetoric% an 2 The $ursuit of artistic e'$ression% as en a e! in 6y *riters *ho 6eca#e $ersonally involve! in the architectural !esi n an! !ecoration of their resi!ences, le! in #any cases to the construction of houses fashione! fro# !rea#s an! un#ista+a6ly inten!e! as #onu#ents to their o*ners4 Haral! Hen!ri'% e!4% &riters' Houses an! the -akin of -e#ory% Ee* For+ 2002% 1-114 RIHA Journal 0145 | 15 January 2017 inter$lay of i#a es an! wor!s !evelo$e! throu h a $hysical an! alle orical relationshi$ with a $lace no* a$$ro$riate! 6y an! a6sor6e! into his $ersona4 It is essential% therefore% that infor#ation on (u#as8 life an! literary career #ay 6e co#6ine! with an icono ra$hic analysis as a #eans of !eco!in the #eanin s 6oun! u$ in this extraor!inary a6o!e%@ a $lace !estine! to $ass into $osterity as an interface for $resentin hi#self to his $u6lic% just as the author ha! inten!e!4 0rolo ue A4B Doth the ori ins an! the !esi n of the "h,teau !e -onte."risto are inextrica6ly lin+e! to the resoun!in success (u#as enHoye! *ith his serialise! feuilletons in 1844, startin *ith Les 5rois -ous:uetaires% which <rst a$$eare! in series for# in Le Si?cle on 14 -arch% an! then *ith Le "o#te !e -onte."risto% $u6lishe! in the Journal !es (?6ats fro# 28 Au ust onwar!s4 Lverco#e 6y the frantic $ace of his wor+ an! his hectic social life% at the en! of -ay that very sa#e year (u#as 6eat a retreat fro# 0aris to the near6y villa e of Saint.Cer#ain.en.Laye%4 his i!ea 6ein to rest for a short $erio! of ti#e4 He staye! initially at the 0avillon Henri IJ an! @ &e are in!e6te! in this re ar! to Ceor es 0oisson% *ho frst a$$roache! the connection 6et*een the houses of *riters an! their $ersonalities 6y consi!erin their theatrical ele#ents an! their sco$e as $ortraits. Ceor es 0oisson% -onte. "risto% un ch,teau !e ro#an% -arly-le-Roi 1M27N Ceor e 0oisson% Les #aisons !8?crivain% 0aris 1MM7% 74.204 Lther consi!erations are $ut for*ar! 6y "hristiane Eeave an! Hu6ert "harron% -onte."risto% ch,teau !e rOve% -arly.le-Roy 1MM4N -ichel "aPenave% Ale'an!re Du#as, le ch,teau !es folies, Saint."yr-sur-Loire 2002N an! #ost i#$ortantly 6y "lau!e Scho$$ in his e'haustive 6io ra$hy% Ale'an!re Du#as, le ?nie !e la vie% 0aris 2002% @M2-40M4 The $resent $a$er *as su6#itte! to RIHA Journal on 7 June 201@4 The $u6lication of ne* !ocu#ents, $articularly u$co#in an! ea erly a*aite! volu#es containin a co$ious a#ount of corres$on!ence 6y Du#as . "orrespon!ance ?n?rale $u6lishe! 6y "lau!e Scho$$% corres$on!ence that until no* is li#ite! to the years 1220-12@2 an! 12@@-12@2 (volu#es I an! II% 0aris 2014 an! 201Q3 .% shoul! she! #ore li ht on !etails such as the relationshi$s 6et*een Du#as an! the architects an! artists *ho *or+e! on 0ort. -arly4 4 It *as at this ti#e% !urin *hich Du#as an! his *ife I!a 1errier re* a$art% that Du#as’ frien! C?rar! !e Eerval spo+e to hi# of the 6enefts of usin Saint.