19th-century French poetry presented the world with many talented authors. One of the most striking at that time was Gauthier Theophile. A critic of the romantic school, who created dozens of poems and poems, popular not only in France but also abroad.
The personal life of the poet
Gauthier Theophile was born on August 31, 1811 in the town of Tarbes on the border with Spain. True, after a short time his family moved to the capital. Gauthier spent almost his whole life in Paris, retaining a longing for the southern climate, which left an imprint on his temperament and creativity.
In the capital, Gauthier received an excellent education with a humanitarian bias. At first, he was passionately fond of painting, quite early on he became a supporter of the romantic trend in art. His first teacher was Victor Hugo.
The young poet was well remembered by contemporaries for his bright outfit. His unchanging red vest and long flowing hair became an image for a romantic youth of that time.
First publications
Gauthier Theophile released his first poetry collection in 1830, when he was 19 years old. It was called plainly - "Poems." The same period (until 1836) includes most of his most famous works. This poem is Albertus, novels Young France, Mademoiselle de Maupin, Fortune, Tear of the Devil.
Moreover, if the early poem "Albertus" was written in a classic romantic style, then in the novel "Young France" the creative personality of the writer can be clearly traced. First of all, it is simplicity and poetry that balance the excessive pretentiousness and harshness of the classic romantic style.
The pinnacle of poetry
Admittedly by critics, Theophile Gautier occupies a well-deserved place in the pantheon of
French poets . The works created by him are compared with precious stones, the poet could work for more than one month on one poem.
First of all, this applies to the collection of Enamels and Cameos. Gauthier worked on it in the 50-70s of the XIX century. The author devoted any free minute to him practically throughout the last 20 years of his life. Without exception, all the works included in this collection are associated with personal memories and experiences. During his lifetime, Gauthier Theophile published 6 editions of Enamel and Cameo, each of which was supplemented by new works. If in 1852 it included 18 poems, then in the final version of 1872, which was released a few months before the death of the poet, there were already 47 lyric miniatures.
Wandering journalist
True, poetry could not fully contain Gauthier, so he was engaged in journalism. He treated this work without reverence, often calling it "the curse of his life."
In the journal Press, Girardin Gauthier, until his death, published dramatic feuilleton to spite the day. In addition, he wrote books on criticism and the history of literature. So, in the work “Grotesque” of 1844, Gauthier opened for a wide range of readers several poets of the XV-XVI centuries who were unreasonably forgotten. Among them are Villon and Cyrano de Bergerac.
At the same time, Gauthier was an avid traveler. He visited almost all European countries, including also visited Russia. Subsequently, he devoted the trip to the essays The Journey to Russia of 1867 and The Treasures of Russian Art of 1863.
Theophile Gautier described his travel impressions in his artistic essays. The author’s biography is well traced in them. These are "Travel to Spain", "Italy" and "East". They are distinguished by the accuracy of landscapes, rare for literature of this genre, and the poetic representation of the beauties of nature.
The most famous novel
Despite strong poems, for most other readers the name Theophile Gautier is known. "Captain Thracassus" is a historical adventure novel published for the first time in 1863. Subsequently, he was translated into many languages of the world, including Russian, and twice - in 1895 and 1957.
Actions take place during the reign of Louis XIII in France . This is the beginning of the 17th century. The main character - the young Baron de Sigonyak - lives in a family estate in Gascony. This is a dilapidated castle in which only one faithful servant remains with him.
Everything changes when a troupe of strolling artists is allowed into the castle for the night. The young baron falls in love with actress Isabella and follows the artists to Paris. On the way, one of the members of the troupe dies, and de Sigognac decides on an act unprecedented for a man at that time. To achieve the location of Isabella, he goes on stage and begins to play the role of captain Thracassus. This is a classic character in the Italian comedy del arte. Type adventurer-military.
Further events develop as in an exciting detective story. Isabella seeks to seduce the young Duke de Vallombrez. Our baron challenges him to a duel, wins, but the duke does not abandon his attempts. He organizes the abduction of Isabella from a Paris hotel, and sends the hired killer to de Sigognac himself. However, the latter fails.
The ending is more like an Indian melodrama. Isabella languishes in the castle of the Duke, who persistently offers her her love. However, at the last moment, thanks to the family ring, it turns out that Isabella and the Duke are brother and sister.
The duke and the baron reconcile, de Sigognac takes the beauty as his wife. At the end, he also discovers a family treasure in the old castle, hidden there by his ancestors.
Gauthier's legacy
Despite the love of poetry and creativity, Teofil Gauthier could not devote enough time to them. He managed to create poetry only in his spare time, and he devoted the rest of his life to journalism and solving material problems. Because of this, many works were imbued with notes of sadness, often the impossibility of realizing all the plans and ideas is felt.
Theophile Gauthier died in 1872 in Neuilly near Paris. He was 61 years old.