The publication of Le Joujou Patriotisme in 1891 cost Remy de Gourmont his position at the Bibliothèque nationale after he suggested a rapprochement between France and Germany. This incident marked a turning point in the career of a writer who became a central figure in the Symbolist movement and a guiding force for twentieth-century literary criticism.
Early Career and Symbolism
Born in 1858 in Bazoches-au-Houlme, Gourmont graduated with a law degree from the University of Caen Normandy in 1879. Upon moving to Paris, he secured employment at the Bibliothèque nationale. By 1889, he helped establish the Mercure de France, which served as a primary hub for Symbolist thought. He collaborated with Alfred Jarry on the magazine L'Ymagier between 1893 and 1894, focusing on symbolist wood carvings.
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Gourmont gained distinction for his essays and critical works, most notably Le Problème du Style, written as a response to Antoine Albalat. His novels, such as Sixtine and A Virgin Heart, analyzed the interplay between subjectivity and artistic creation. His poetry anthologies, including Hieroglyphes and Litanies de la Rose, showcased experiments with sound and rhythm that resonated with later Imagist writers like Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot.
Personal Life and Decline
In the late nineteenth century, Gourmont developed a lifelong partnership with Berthe Courrière. His later life was significantly shaped by a diagnosis of lupus vulgaris, which disfigured him and forced a withdrawal from public life. Despite declining health marked by locomotor ataxia, he maintained correspondence with figures such as Natalie Clifford Barney, dedicating his Lettres à l'Amazone to her. He died in 1915 due to cerebral congestion.
Fast facts
- Born: 1858, Bazoches-au-Houlme
- Died: 1915, Paris
- Education: University of Caen Normandy
- Movement: Symbolism
- Awards: Saintour Prize (1904)
- Positions held: Publication manager (1894-1896)
- Buried: Père Lachaise Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of Le Joujou Patriotisme?
It was a political polemic that argued for aesthetic cooperation between France and Germany, leading to his dismissal from the Bibliothèque nationale.
Where is Remy de Gourmont buried?
He is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in the tomb of Chopin alongside his partner, Berthe Courrière.
Achievements
- Saintour Prize — 1904
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