L'artifice romantique : Byron, Pouchkine, Nerval, Poe, Lermontov, Baudelaire
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Abstract EN:
Although romanticism is generally considered as a glorification of the natural, six authors - byron,pushkin, nerval, poe, lermontov and baudelaire - chose to stand up for artifice, and exalted the beauty and power which man pursues when correcting nature. The transformation of the scenery, symbolising a will for power over matter, is the first challenge to the creator. Through finery, man endows himself with a divine appearance ; he becomes his own creature, thus escaping from god's authority. Disguise goes even further : the man in fancy dress builds up a new identity, eludes the limitations of his individuality by creating different images of himself, and becomes involved in a dangerous gamble. The lier claims control over truth and falsehood, which makes him equal to the divinity ; this power allows him to control not only his own feelings, but also those of others - to possess them in a demoniac way. The sum of the artificial revolt tends finally to bestow upon the being the heavenly attributes of perfection, immateriality and immortality ; the human work wants to match the divine, or even surpass it. There themfore exists a true romanticism of artifice, which humanizes the world, and establishes the liberty and invention of the human mind-art and its creations-as the basis of a new spirituality. This underground, unrecognised revolution, constitutes possibly the most absolute romantic revolt.
Abstract FR:
Si le romantisme est traditionnellement considere comme la consecration du naturel, six ecrivains - byron, pouchkine, nerval, poe, lermontov et baude- laire- ont pourtant choisi de rehabiliter l'artifice, en exaltant la beaute et la puissance que l'homme poursuit en corrigeant la nature. La transformation du decor, qui traduit une volonte de puissance sur la matiere, est un premier defi au createur. Par la parure, l'homme se dote d'une apparence divine ; il devient sa propre creature, et se soustrait ainsi a l'auto- rite de dieu. Le travestissement va plus loin encore : le personnage deguise se forge une nouvelle identite, echappe a l'etroitesse de son individualite en se multipliant, se livre a un jeu dangereux. Le menteur s'arroge la maitrise du vrai et du faux, ce qui fait de lui l'egal de la divinite ; ce pouvoir lui permet de gouverner non seulement ses sentiments, mais ceux des autres - de les posseder au sens demoniaque du terme. Toute la revolte artificielle enfin tend a accorder a l'etre les attributs celestes de la perfection, de l'immaterialite et de l'im- mortalite ; l'oeuvre humaine veut egaler l'oeuvre divine, voire la surpasser. Il existe donc un veritable romantisme de l'artifice, qui, humanisant le monde, consacre la liberte et l'invention de l'esprit humain - l'art et ses creations- comme fondement d'une nouvelle spiritualite. Cette revolution souter- raine, meconnue, constitue peut-etre la forme la plus absolue de la revolte romantique.