Flaubert and Céline on Art, Work, and the Bourgeoisie
An editorial in art press presents a dialogue between Gustave Flaubert and Louis-Ferdinand Céline, drawn from their correspondence, on the nature of artistic labor and the hostility of the press and bourgeoisie. Flaubert asserts that an artist cannot live like ordinary people, working violently in isolation, and that hatred of newspapers is the beginning of love for beauty. Céline describes the agony of writing and dismisses critics as gossips who avoid effort. Both express contempt for publishers and the public, with Flaubert declaring his love for literature and hatred of the bourgeois, while Céline states he is at war with everyone. The excerpts come from Flaubert's Correspondance 1876-1880 (Pléiade, vol. 5) and Céline's Lettres à Marie Canavaggia 1936-1960 and the DVD set Céline vivant (Editions Montparnasse).
Key facts
- Flaubert: 'A man who has made himself an artist no longer has the right to live like another.'
- Flaubert: 'Hatred of newspapers is the beginning of love of beauty.'
- Céline: 'Critics never say anything but stupidities.'
- Flaubert: 'Two things sustain me: love of Literature and hatred of the Bourgeois.'
- Céline: 'I am at war with everyone.'
- Flaubert: 'I believe in the unconscious hatred of style.'
- Céline: 'A style, there are one two three per century.'
- Sources: Flaubert's Correspondance 1876-1880 (Pléiade vol. 5) and Céline's Lettres à Marie Canavaggia 1936-1960 and DVD set Céline vivant.
Entities
Artists
- Gustave Flaubert
- Louis-Ferdinand Céline
- Jacques Henric
Institutions
- art press
- Pléiade
- Editions Montparnasse
Sources
- artpress —