Art, artist, craftsman in French literature of the 19th century 3304-1DZXW-KL-11
The starting point for the considerations will be the new approach to art that emerged in the
19th century as a result of social and civilizational changes and the increasing autonomy of
the artist identified with an outstanding individual who has a mission to fulfill. The idea of
engaged art appears in the works of Romantic poets, as well as in the writings and novels of
George Sand, who described the ideal of a painter as opposed to creators-craftsmen.
The vision of art inextricably linked with suffering and sacrifice fills Balzac's short stories. In
an era of increasing demand for works of art in bourgeois society, Balzac takes up the issue
of the relationship between the original and the copy and the role of the creator-craftsman.
The doctrine of "art for art" formulated by T. Gautier and the resulting from it assumptions
of Parnassian poetry will also be presented.
Reflections on various fields of art and the fate of an artist being in opposition to society fill
the works of Baudelaire, Verlaine and Mallarmé. They will be presented on the basis of
selected poems as well as theoretical and critical texts.
E. Zola, who created the tragic figure of a painter doomed to failure, and female painters
who, however, will always remain craftswomen, will be recalled as a master of naturalism. In
this context, it is worth noting that in the face of anonymous mass production in Zola's era,
the perception of the figure of the craftsman changes.
In the context of the idea of a synthesis of arts, cases of artists working in various fields of
art, such as E. Delacroix, H. Berlioz or E. Fromentin, will also be presented.
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
After passing the seminar, the student:
a) knows and understands:
- at an advanced level, directions and methodology of research on French literature of the
19th century (K_W04)
- at an advanced level, the main issues in the field of French literary studies in relation to
issues related to fine arts and the figure of the artist/craftsman in 19th century literature
(K_W05);
- principles of analysis and interpretation of French literary texts from the 19th century using
tools from the field of interdisciplinary comparative literature (K_W09);
- chosen facts, processes and phenomena in the field of the history of French literature of
the 19th century, including the chronology of aesthetic trends from this period and the
connections between them (K_W10).
b) can:
- plan and prepare oral presentations in French based on a scientific article, referring to basic
theoretical approaches related to the place of art and the artist/craftsman in French
literature of the 19th century (K_U05);
- prepare a written work in French, referring to the knowledge acquired during the seminar
and acquired independently (K_U06).
c) is ready to:
- care for cultural heritage, especially in relation to French culture (K_K04);
- compliance with the basic principles of professional ethics and the principles of protection
of intellectual property and copyright (K_K06).
Assessment criteria
- mandatory attendance (two unexcused absences are allowed per semester); if a student
misses more than two classes, he or she will be asked to discuss the content of the missed
classes;
- preparation and activity during classes (reading texts, participating in discussions and
involvement in group work, short written statements);
- a paper or multimedia presentation prepared in groups of 2 based on a scientific article;
- written colloquium on the knowledge acquired during the classes;
- semester work (individual or in groups of 2) on a given topic;
- oral examination (number of questions depends on the result of the test).
Bibliography
A. Vaillant, L'Art de la littérature. Romantisme et modernité, Paris, Classiques Garnier,
2016.A. Vaillant, Ph. Régnier, J.-P. Bertrand, Histoire de la littérature française du XIXe siècle,
PUR, 2007.
Selection of scientific articles from the issue "L'artiste, l'écrivain, le poète", Romantisme, nr
55, 1987.
Selection of scientific articles from the issue "Art, artiste, artisan au XIXe siècle', FOLIA
LITTERARIA ROMANICA, nr 13, 2018.
Selection of literary texts (poems, short stories, fragments of novels, theoretical texts) and
scientific articles.
Additional information
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