First French Empire
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Théophile Gautier
Tarbes, First French Empire
Archival Overview
Pioneering French poet, critic, and novelist who formulated the aesthetic doctrine of 'Art for Art's sake' (l'art pour l'art) in Mademoiselle de Maupin and Émaux et Camées.
Biographical Record
Théophile Gautier (1811–1872) was a French poet, novelist, art and theater critic who led the transition from Romanticism into Parnassianism, Aestheticism, and Decadence. At the celebrated 'Battle of Hernani' in 1830, he famously led the youth cheering Victor Hugo wearing his legendary scarlet waistcoat.
In the revolutionary preface to his 1835 novel Mademoiselle de Maupin, Gautier formulated the doctrine of l'art pour l'art ('Art for Art's sake'), asserting that true art serves no moral or utilitarian purpose beyond beauty itself. His meticulously carved poems in Émaux et Camées ('Enamels and Cameos'), including 'L'Art', treated poetic language like sculptured marble, deeply inspiring Baudelaire (who dedicated Les Fleurs du mal to him as the 'parfait magicien des lettres françaises') and Oscar Wilde.
Key Life Milestones
Preface to Mademoiselle de Maupin
Penned the celebrated preface to Mademoiselle de Maupin, establishing 'l'art pour l'art' as the foundational credo of modern aestheticism.
Émaux et Camées Published
Published Émaux et Camées, treating poetic meters like chisel and marble to forge the Parnassian school.
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialParis, France