Rémy de Gourmont
Rémy de Gourmont was a notable French literary figure active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, recognized for his contributions to poetry, fiction, and literary criticism. He was an influential member of the Symbolist movement and later contributed to the Imagist movement. After completing his education in Caen, he moved to Paris in 1883, where he worked as an assistant librarian at the Bibliothèque Nationale until his dismissal in 1891 due to controversial writings. Gourmont's literary works, including "The Book of Masks" and "Épilogues," showcase his critical insights into contemporary literature and highlight significant figures such as Joris-Karl Huysmans and Stéphane Mallarmé. His approach to literature involved deconstructing traditional ideas, allowing for new interpretations and expressions. Stricken with lupus later in life, Gourmont's focus shifted inward, influencing his novels like "A Night in the Luxembourg," which reflect his unique intelligence and perspective on themes such as faith and morality. He passed away in 1915, leaving behind a legacy of analytical and thought-provoking literature.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Rémy de Gourmont
French novelist, short-story writer, poet, playwright, and essayist
- Born: April 4, 1858
- Birthplace: Bazoches-en-Houlme, Orne, France
- Died: September 27, 1915
- Place of death: Paris, France
Biography
Rémy de Gourmont (goor-mohn) represents a type of literary figure not uncommon in the nineteenth century, the detached observer of life. As a celebrated poet he contributed to the Imagist movement of the early twentieth century. A prolific novelist and short-story writer, he exhibited a lifelong fascination for the scientific study of sexuality, and these theoretical dramas offer an aesthetic contrast between intellectual heroes and the women who captivate them.
After having been educated in Caen, a northern seaport near the English Channel, Gourmont went to Paris in 1883. That same year he assumed the position of assistantlibrarian at the Bibliothèque Nationale; he remained in this position until 1891, when he was dismissed for writing a seemingly unpatriotic, pro-German article in the Mercure de France, a periodical that he founded in collaboration with several other writers associated with the Symbolist movement, among them Joris-Karl Huysmans, Henri de Régnier, and Alfred Vallette.
The book that perhaps displays Gourmont’s critical abilities at their fullest is The Book of Masks, a study of the accomplishments and individuality of the Symbolist poets. This work was followed by Épilogues, a set of essays on contemporary life published in the Mercure de France. One of the most valuable achievements of Gourmont’s career was the identification of such seminal figures of the late nineteenth century literary landscape as Huysmans, Stéphane Mallarmé, and Friedrich Nietzsche.
The later studies Promenades littéraires and Promenades philosophiques cover a wide range of intellectual topics. Nevertheless, as he demonstrated in his Le Problème du style, Gourmont’s principal interest remained focused on the question of literature as a pure art form. One of the salient features of his artistic approach to literature was his practice of breaking up traditional images and ideas into parts so that these divisions could be individually scrutinized and reassembled into new patterns and associations.
After 1891 Gourmont became afflicted with the chronic and disfiguring disease lupus. After that time the most intense part of his life was lived in his own mind. This is reflected in his novels The Horses of Diomedes, A Night in the Luxembourg, and A Virgin Heart. Although few of his characters really come alive, these novels are illuminated by a compelling and individual intelligence. In A Night in the Luxembourg Gourmont also reveals a traditional Gallic defiance of orthodox Christianity.
Rémy de Gourmont died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Paris in 1915 while writing a condemnation of the German bombing of Rheims Cathedral after the 1914 escalation of war. This final reflection on militarism and morality is yet another confirmation of his discursive, analytical thinking.
Bibliography
Aldington, Richard. Rémy de Gourmont: A Modern Man of Letters. 1916. Reprint. Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1970. Short biography and interpretation.
Burne, Glenn S. Rémy de Gourmont: His Ideas and Influence in England and America. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1963. Gourmont’s critical essays are adequately evaluated.
Cornell, Kenneth. The Symbolist Movement. 1951. Reprint. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, 1970. Discussion of Gourmont’s philosophical works are found in this study on the Symbolist movement.
Lowell, Amy. Six French Poets. New York: Macmillan, 1967. Offers an insightful reading of Gourmont’s poetry.
Uitti, Karl. The Concept of Self in the Symbolist Novel. The Hague: Mouton, 1961. Discussion of Gourmont’s philosophical works are found in this study on the Symbolist movement.