Théophile Gautier

Leisha May Ashdown-Lecointre (Université Clermont Auvergne)
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A prolific writer whose work spans half of the nineteenth century, Théophile Gautier, known as “le bon Théo”, was one of the major literary figures of his time. Parisian by upbringing, Gautier's birthplace, Tarbes in the south-west of France, was a source of literary inspiration for him in later life. Gautier travelled extensively throughout Europe, to Russia, Turkey and Egypt; his writings were influenced by his travels. Although in the early twenty-first century he is remembered mainly for his novel

Le Capitaine Fracasse

(1863), written in the style of Scarron's

Roman comique

, Gautier was at the forefront of major literary movements throughout the century. He is widely considered to be the father of modern poetry. The poet Baudelaire (1821-1867), who dedicated

Les Fleurs du Mal

3307 words

Citation: Ashdown-Lecointre, Leisha May. "Théophile Gautier". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 April 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1705, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1705 Théophile Gautier 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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