Précieuses
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | "The [[Hotel Rambouillet]], the [[French Academy]], and the "[[Précieuses]]," are acknowledged to have made French what it is; and in his history of polite society in France, [[Roederer]] plainly puts the "[[Précieuses]]" on a par with the Academy, and refers the origin of both to the famous Hôtel Rambouillet."--''[[French Women of Letters]]'' (1862) by Julia Kavanagh | ||
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| + | "The late 17th and early 18th century is the great period of Camp: [[Alexander Pope|Pope]], [[William Congreve|Congreve]], [[Horace Walpole|Walpole]], etc, but not Swift; ''[[Précieuses|les précieux]]'' in France; the [[rococo churches of Munich]]; [[Giovanni Battista Pergolesi|Pergolesi]]."--"[[Notes on "Camp"]]" (1964) by Susan Sontag | ||
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| + | [[Image:Carte du tendre.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''[[Map of Tendre]]'' from ''[[Clelia]]'']] | ||
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| - | The literary style called ''préciosité'' ("preciousness") arose from the lively conversations and playful word games of '''''les précieuses''''', the witty and educated intellectual ladies who frequented the ''[[salon (gathering)|salon]]'' of the [[Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet|marquise de Rambouillet]]; her ''Chambre bleue'' (the "blue bedroom" of her ''[[hôtel particulier]]'') offered a Parisian refuge from the dangerous political factionism and coarse manners of the royal court during the minority of [[Louis XIII of France|Louis XIII]]. One of the central figures of the salon, [[Madeleine de Scudéry]], wrote voluminous romance novels that were suffused with feminine elegance, exquisitely correct scruples of behavior and Platonic love that were hugely popular with a largely female audience, but scorned by most men. The "questions of love" that were debated in the précieuses' salons reflected the "[[courts of love]]" that were a feature of medieval [[courtly love]]. | + | The 17th-century French literary style and movement called '''préciosité''', ''preciousness''). The main features of this style are the refined language of aristocratic salons, [[periphrasis|periphrases]], [[hyperbole]], and [[pun]]s on the theme of gallant love. The movement was similar to the Italian [[marinism]], Spanish ''[[culteranismo]]'', and English [[euphuism]]. |
| - | None of the ladies ever applied the term ''précieuse'' to herself or defined it. Myriam Maître has found in ''préciosité'' not so much a listable series of characteristics "as an interplay of forces, a place of encounter and mutual ordering of certain of the tensions that extend through the century, the court and the field of literature". In assessing the career of [[Philippe Quinault]], which began at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, 1653, Patricia Howard noted, "For if in French theatre in the second half of the century, women's roles are preeminent, it was the précieux movement which made them so."<ref>Howard 1991:58.</ref> | + | The movement arose in the 17th century from the lively conversations and playful word games of '''''les précieuses''''' , the intellectual, witty and educated women who frequented the [[salon (gathering)|salon]] of [[Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet]]. Her ''Chambre bleue'' (the "blue room" of her ''[[hôtel particulier]]'') offered a Parisian refuge from the dangerous political factionalism and coarse manners of the royal court during the regency of [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]]. |
| - | In the [[Fronde]], the [[Blue Stockings Society (France)|blue-stocking]]s tended to be aligned with the surintendant des finances, [[Nicolas Fouquet]], drawing the satire and ire of the ''aubignaciens'', of the [[Jean François Paul de Gondi, cardinal de Retz|Cardinal de Retz]]'s party.<ref>Maître 1999: part I.</ref> | + | One of the central figures of the salon that gathered at the ''[[Hôtel de Rambouillet]]'' was [[Madeleine de Scudéry]]. She wrote voluminous romance novels that embodied the refinements of ''preciosité'' including the concepts of feminine elegance, etiquette and courtly [[Platonic love]] that were hugely popular with female audiences, but scorned by most men, including [[Molière]], who satirized the ''précieuses'' in his comedy ''[[Les Précieuses ridicules]]'' (1659). The "questions of love" that were debated in the ''précieuses''' salons reflected the "[[courts of love]]" (fictional courts which judged lovers' behavior) that were a feature of medieval [[courtly love]]. |
| - | In the ''précieuse'' style, numerous [[fairy tale]]s were written, mostly notably by [[Madame d'Aulnoy]]. This fashion for fairy tales, and the writers themselves, were a notable influence later upon [[Charles Perrault]]. They altered the stories notably from the folk tradition, as in making every character at least a gentleman by birth. The heroes and heroines of [[fairy tale]]s written by the précieuses often appeared in [[pastoral]] settings and as shepherds and shepherdesses, but these figures were royal or noble, and their simple setting does not cloud their innate nobility. | + | One ''préciosité'' parlor game, the retelling of [[fairy tale]]s as if spontaneously (though the tales were in fact carefully prepared), was to have great effects. Many of these fairy tales, in the ''préciosité'' style, were written, mostly notably by [[Madame d'Aulnoy]]. This fashion for fairy tales, and the writers themselves, were a notable influence later upon [[Charles Perrault]], and [[Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve]], the author of ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]''. The stories tended to vary from the folk tradition, for example the characters were made to be of genteel origin. Whilst the heroes and heroines of fairy tales written by the ''précieuses'' often appeared as shepherds and shepherdesses, in [[pastoral]] settings, these figures were often secretly royal or noble. |
| - | The ''précieuses'' are remembered through the filter of [[Molière]]'s one-act satire of them in ''[[Les précieuses ridicules]]'' (1659), a bitter [[comedy of manners]] that brought Molière and his company to the attention of Parisians, after years of touring the provinces, and attracted the patronage of [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]]; it still plays well today. ''Les précieuses ridicules'' permanently fixed the [[pejorative]] connotation of ''précieuse'' as "affected". In the play the two provincial young ladies reject the suitors proposed by their father as insufficiently refined, only to fall in love with the suitors' valets, disguised as wits. In the provinces, the young ladies' Parisian pretensions were worth mockery, and in Paris, their puffed-up provincial naiveté and self-esteem were laughable. Thus Molière pleased all possible audiences. | + | |
| - | The phenomenon of the ''précieuses'' in establishing French literary classicism was first revived, in an atmosphere of nostalgia for the ''douceurs de vivre'' of the [[Ancien Regime]] and the aristocratic leisure of its authoresses, by Louis Roederer, in his ''Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de la société polie en France'' (1838). | + | The ''précieuses'' are also remembered through the filter of [[Molière]]'s one-act satire, ''[[Les Précieuses ridicules]]'' (1659). After years touring the provinces, this bitter [[comedy of manners]] brought Molière and his company to the attention of Parisians and attracted the patronage of [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]]. ''Les Précieuses ridicules'' is considered to be the origin of the [[pejorative]] connotation of ''précieuse'' as "affected". |
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| + | The phenomenon of the ''précieuses'' in establishing French literary classicism was first revived by [[Louis Roederer]] in 1838. His ''[[Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de la société polie en France]]'', evoked an atmosphere of nostalgia for the ''douceur de vivre'' of the [[Ancien Régime]] and the aristocratic leisure of its authors, at least for the upper classes. Later, Roxane, a critical character in [[Edmond Rostand]]'s 1897 play ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'', is described as a ''précieuse''. | ||
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| + | ==Significant authors== | ||
| + | * [[Madame d'Aulnoy]] | ||
| + | * [[Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac]] | ||
| + | * [[Isaac de Benserade]] | ||
| + | * [[Charles Cotin]] | ||
| + | * [[Antoine Godeau]] | ||
| + | * [[Henriette-Julie de Murat]] | ||
| + | * [[Paul Pellisson]] | ||
| + | * [[Madeleine de Scudéry]] | ||
| + | * [[Honoré d'Urfé]] | ||
| + | * [[Vincent Voiture]] | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[French literature of the 17th century]] | ||
| + | *[[baroque literature]] | ||
| + | *[[galant novel]]'' | ||
| - | Roxane, a critical character in [[Edmond Rostand]]'s 1897 play ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'', is described as a ''précieuse''. | ||
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"The Hotel Rambouillet, the French Academy, and the "Précieuses," are acknowledged to have made French what it is; and in his history of polite society in France, Roederer plainly puts the "Précieuses" on a par with the Academy, and refers the origin of both to the famous Hôtel Rambouillet."--French Women of Letters (1862) by Julia Kavanagh "The late 17th and early 18th century is the great period of Camp: Pope, Congreve, Walpole, etc, but not Swift; les précieux in France; the rococo churches of Munich; Pergolesi."--"Notes on "Camp"" (1964) by Susan Sontag |
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The 17th-century French literary style and movement called préciosité, preciousness). The main features of this style are the refined language of aristocratic salons, periphrases, hyperbole, and puns on the theme of gallant love. The movement was similar to the Italian marinism, Spanish culteranismo, and English euphuism.
The movement arose in the 17th century from the lively conversations and playful word games of les précieuses , the intellectual, witty and educated women who frequented the salon of Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet. Her Chambre bleue (the "blue room" of her hôtel particulier) offered a Parisian refuge from the dangerous political factionalism and coarse manners of the royal court during the regency of Louis XIV.
One of the central figures of the salon that gathered at the Hôtel de Rambouillet was Madeleine de Scudéry. She wrote voluminous romance novels that embodied the refinements of preciosité including the concepts of feminine elegance, etiquette and courtly Platonic love that were hugely popular with female audiences, but scorned by most men, including Molière, who satirized the précieuses in his comedy Les Précieuses ridicules (1659). The "questions of love" that were debated in the précieuses' salons reflected the "courts of love" (fictional courts which judged lovers' behavior) that were a feature of medieval courtly love.
One préciosité parlor game, the retelling of fairy tales as if spontaneously (though the tales were in fact carefully prepared), was to have great effects. Many of these fairy tales, in the préciosité style, were written, mostly notably by Madame d'Aulnoy. This fashion for fairy tales, and the writers themselves, were a notable influence later upon Charles Perrault, and Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, the author of Beauty and the Beast. The stories tended to vary from the folk tradition, for example the characters were made to be of genteel origin. Whilst the heroes and heroines of fairy tales written by the précieuses often appeared as shepherds and shepherdesses, in pastoral settings, these figures were often secretly royal or noble.
The précieuses are also remembered through the filter of Molière's one-act satire, Les Précieuses ridicules (1659). After years touring the provinces, this bitter comedy of manners brought Molière and his company to the attention of Parisians and attracted the patronage of Louis XIV. Les Précieuses ridicules is considered to be the origin of the pejorative connotation of précieuse as "affected".
The phenomenon of the précieuses in establishing French literary classicism was first revived by Louis Roederer in 1838. His Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de la société polie en France, evoked an atmosphere of nostalgia for the douceur de vivre of the Ancien Régime and the aristocratic leisure of its authors, at least for the upper classes. Later, Roxane, a critical character in Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, is described as a précieuse.
Significant authors
- Madame d'Aulnoy
- Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac
- Isaac de Benserade
- Charles Cotin
- Antoine Godeau
- Henriette-Julie de Murat
- Paul Pellisson
- Madeleine de Scudéry
- Honoré d'Urfé
- Vincent Voiture
See also
