Date : 1997
Format : 1 vol. (884 p.)
Type : Livre / Book
Type : Thèse / ThesisLangue / Language : français / French
Littérature française -- 19e siècle -- Thèmes, motifs
Paris (France) -- 1871 (Commune)
Résumé / Abstract : NOTRE ETUDE VISE A REVELER UN JULES VALLES, GRAND MAITRE EN PORTRAITS DE TOUS GENRES ET DANS LE GENRE DU PORTRAIT. IL RENOUVELLE UNE GRANDE TRADITION, IL LA PERFECTIONNE ET LA MODIFIE EN COMPOSANT UN TABLEAU IMPRESSIONNANT DE LA FRANCE DU SECOND EMPIRE, DE LA IIIE REPUBLIQUE PUIS DE LA COMMUNE. C'EST UNE FRESQUE PITTORESQUE, VIVE, SARCASTIQUE, DRAMATIQUE ET IRONIQUE. JOURNALISTE, IL COMPOSE DES ESQUISSES ET DES CROQUIS QUI CONDENSENT L'ESSENTIEL D'UNE PHYSIONOMIE OU D'UN CARACTERE. IL S'ACHARNE A TROUVER LE DETAIL SAILLANT, ORIGINAL OU SINGULIER POUR COMPOSER SES CARICATURES MORDANTES. IL CROQUE, PAR L'ECRITURE, LES REFRACTAIRES ET LES MARGINAUX. IL NE COMMENTE PAS: LA BRUTALITE DE SES EAUX-FORTES EST PLUS ELOQUENTE QUE TOUS LES DISCOURS. VALLES CRITIQUE LITTERAIRE EST AUSSI UN GRAND POLEMISTE QUI REUSSIT A REPRESENTER LE CONTRE: LE DEFAUT, LA SINGULARITE, LA VERRUE DE DIDEROT, LE GESTE, LE RIDICULE. LE PORTRAITISTE EST UN PHOTOGRAPHE DU REEL ET DE L'IMAGINAIRE, IL SCULPTE AVEC LES MOTS LES VISAGES, LES SILHOUETTES, IL GRAVE LES SENSATIONS. L'AUTOPORTRAIT OCCUPE UNE PLACE CENTRALE DANS L'OEUVRE DE L'ECRIVAIN. LE LECTEUR DECOUVRE UN KALEIDOSCOPE DE "VISIONS" HALLUCINANTES ET CONTRADICTOIRES. LE MOI BLESSE SE REVELE A TRAVERS UNE OPPOSITION D'IMAGES GROTESQUES ET SUBLIMES. ACTEUR ET TEMOIN DE LA COMMUNE, VALLES RETRANSCRIT AVEC L'EXACTITUDE DE L'HISTORIEN MAIS SURTOUT AVEC LE TALENT D'UN POETE ET D'UN PEINTRE D'HISTOIRE, L'EVENEMENT COMMUNE. IL RASSEMBLE LES HEROS SANGLANTS, BOUFFONS OU PATHETIQUES. IL ATTEINT PARFOIS L'EPOPEE FANTASTIQUE DE HAUT NIVEAU. JULES VALLES EXCELLE AUSSI BIEN DANS L'ART DU CROQUIS INSTANTANE, A L'EMPORTE-PIECE, A HAUTE VITESSE QU'A CELUI DE LONGS PORTRAITS SOIGNES, EXHAUSTIFS. IL MARIE LA VIOLENCE A UNE GRANDE DELICATESSE. C'EST UN PORTRAITISTE PASSIONNE ET SENSIBLE. CETTE SELECTION DE PORTRAITS CONFIRME QUE VALLES EST BIEN UN HERITIER DE SAINT-SIMON, DE LA BRUYERE ET DE GOYA, ET QU'IL EST INFLUENCE PLUS QUE TOUT AUTRE PAR LE DESSIN ET LA GR
Résumé / Abstract : THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO SHOW A NEW JULES VALLES: EXPERT IN PORTRAITS OF EVERY KIND AND IN THE GENRE OF PORTRAITURE. VALLES REVIVED, PERFECTED AND MODIFIED A GRAND TRADITION, PAINTING AN IMPRESSIVE PICTURE OF FRANCE UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE, THE THIRD REPUBLIC AND THE COMMUNE COVERING THE YEARS 1857 TO 1885 IN A FRESCO THAT IS LIVELY, SARCASTIC, DRAMATIC AND IRONIC. IN HIS CAUSTIC CARICATURES HE INEVITABLY FOUND THE SALIENT, THE ORIGINAL OR THE REMARKABLE DETAIL. HE SKETCHED FRANCE'S SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS BUT REFRAINED FROM COMMENT: THE BRUTALITY OF HIS ETCHINGS WAS MORE ELOQUENT THAN ANY SPEECH. VALLES THE LITERARY CRITIC WAS ALSO A GREAT POLEMICIST WHO EXCELLED IN THE ART OF CONTRAST : DEFECTS, PECULIARITIES, THE "CROMWELL'S WART, GESTURES, THE RIDICULOUS. IN HIS SELF-PORTRAIT READERS WILL DISCOVER A KALEIDOSCOPE OF HALLUCINATORY AND CONTRADICTORY "VISIONS"; THE WOUNDED SELF REVEALS ITSELF VIA OPPOSING IMAGES THAT ARE GROTESQUE AND SUBLIME. VALLES WAS BOTH ACTOR UNDER AND WITNESS TO THE COMMUNE; HE RECORDED ITS EVENTS WITH THE PRECISION OF A HISTORIAN AND THE ART OF A POET AND HISTORICAL PAINTER, PORTRAYING ITS CAST OF HEROES (BLOODY, COMIC OR PATHETIC) AND SCALING THE HEIGHTS OF A FANTASTIC EPIC. JULES VALLES WAS A MASTER OF BOTH THE INSTANT, INCISIVE, SPEEDY SKETCH AND THE CAREFUL, DETAILED FULL PORTRAIT. HIS STYLE WAS VIOLENT AND EXTREMELY DELICATE; HE WAS BOTH PASSIONATE AND SENSITIVE. THIS SELECTION OF PORTRAITS PROVES THAT VALLES CONTINUED THE LINE STRETCHING FROM SAINT-SIMON AND LA BRUYERE TO GOYA. MORE THAN ANY OTHER, HE WAS INFLUENCED BY 19TH CENTURY DRAWINGS AND ETCHINGS; HE WAS A CONTEMPORARY OF BALZAC, DORE, DAUMIER AND THE IMPRESSIONISTS. PERHAPS HE WAS A FORERUNNER OF THE SURREALISTS AND BACON. BUT WHAT HE CERTAINLY WAS IS MODERN, CONTEMPORARY FOR HE WENT FURTHER THAN HIS OWN TIME, TIME ITSELF AND THE MARCH OF EVENTS WHICH HE ILLUSTRATED.