First published in the newly-created journal
L’Artistein 1831, and reworked in 1837,
Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnuby Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) is a short story or
récitthat the author grouped together in his collected
Comédie humaineunder the heading “Études philosophiques”. Because it is concerned with artistic production (specifically painting), Balzac associated it with two other stories that also explore the creative process,
Gambara(1837) and
Massimilla Doni(1839) (which concern the composition and performance of music). For Balzac, artistic expression of all kinds represents human thought and feeling pushed to the extreme. In these texts (and others), Balzac explores the mesmerizing, terrible and almost super-natural quality that he sees as inherent in artistic…
1561 words
Citation: Gerwin, Elisabeth. "Chef d'oeuvre inconnu". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 July 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=21923, accessed 10 November 2024.]