Marie Stuart (1820-1899) : image et images de la reine d'Ecosse au XIXe siècle français
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Abstract EN:
From 1820, the date of the creation of lebrun's tragedy based on schiller's and of the first edition of scott's "the abbot" in france, to 1899, the beginning of her canonization trial, mary stuart inspired in france many works of art of all natures. This study analyses the reasons for this interest and the relationship between the various elements of "the myth" mary stuart and defines the sexual points of view about her. A periodization is established first: this queen, who has been the object of much controversy between catholics and protestants since the 16th century is first and foremost perceived in the first half of the century as a stirring sinner closer to fiction than history. Compared with marieantoinette and to the duchess of berry, she finds herself engaged in losing political battles. She then becomes a renowned historical figure : "the historiographical nightmare" finally seems to have come to an end. She is rehabilitated and presented as a role model tho the catholic youth the treatment of history is then analysed : if the historians established the historical necessity of mary stuart's failure, the historian agnes strickland gave an unbiased and feminist interpretation of her life's story, the originality of which was soon erased by her french imitators. Mary stuart, beautiful and unfortunate, finally appears as the epitome of men's fantasies about woman, at once "muse and madonna". Her case as opposed to elizabeth's permits the condemnation of women's power. On the contrary, women emphasize the queen of scots'courage and talent ; in the duchess of pomar's eyes, she is a female christ whose sufferings henceforth bygone announce a new era. In perceiving mary stuart the sexual distinction out-weights the ideological one, and agnes strickland's essential role in her historiography induces us to reconsider the role of women in the intellectual life of last century.
Abstract FR:
De 1820, date de creation de la tragedie de lebrun d'apres schiller et de la premiere edition de "l'abbe" de scott en france, a 1899, date d'ouverture de son proces de canonisation, marie stuart inspira en france de nombreuses oeuvres de toutes natures. Cette etude analyse les raisons de cet interet, les relations entre les differents elements du "mythe" marie stuart, et definit des points de vue sexues la concernant. Une periodisation est d'abord etablie : cette reine, objet d'apres controverses entre catholiques et protestants depuis le xvie siecle, est d'abord surtout percue dans la premiere moitie du siecle comme une emouvante pecheresse, plus proche de la fiction que de l'histoire. Comparee a marieantoinette puis a la duchesse de berry, elle est enrolee dans des batailles politiques perdues. Puis elle se mue en un personnage historique au-dessus de tout soupcon : le "cauchemar historiographique" semble enfin termine. Rehabilitee, elle est offerte comme modele a la jeunesse catholique. Le traitement de l'histoire est ensuite analyse : si les historiens etablissent la necessite historique de l'echec de marie stuart, l'historienne agnes strickland propose une interpretation non orientee et feministe de son histoire, dont l'originalite fut bientot gommee par ses imitateurs francais. Marie stuart, belle et infortunee, apparait enfin comme le resume des fantasmes masculins sur la femme, "muse et madone" a la fois ; son cas oppose a celui d'elisabeth permet de condamner le pouvoir des femmes. A l'inverse, les femmes soulignent le courage et le talent de la reine d'ecosse ; pour la duchesse de pomar, elle est un christ feminin dont les souffrances desormais revolues annoncent une ere nouvelle. Dans la perception de marie stuart le clivage sexue est donc plus determinant que le clivage ideologique, et le role essentiel d'agnes strickland dans son historiographie invite a reconsiderer le role des femmes dans la vie intellectuelle du siecle dernier.