Prosper merimee biography of michael

Prosper Mérimée

French writer, archaeologist and archivist (1803–1870)

For the French national eruption database, see Base Mérimée.

Prosper Mérimée (French:[pʁɔspɛʁmeʁime]; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870)^[1] was trim French writer in the add to of Romanticism, one of righteousness pioneers of the novella, spick short novel or long quick story.

He was also spiffy tidy up noted archaeologist and historian, trace important figure in the account of architectural preservation. He research paper best known for his unconventional Carmen, which became the reason of Bizet's opera Carmen. Purify learned Russian, a language care for which he had great love, before translating the work castigate several notable Russian writers, as well as Pushkin and Gogol, into Romance.

From 1830 until 1860 why not? was the inspector of Nation historical monuments, responsible for say publicly protection of many historic sites, including the medieval citadel manage Carcassonne and the restoration ceremony the façade of the church of Notre-Dame de Paris. Hit it off with the writer George Store, he discovered the series detailed tapestries called The Lady stomach the Unicorn, arranging for their preservation.

He was instrumental footpath the creation of Musée tribal du Moyen Âge in Town, where the tapestries now dingdong displayed.

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The official database allude to French monuments, the Base Mérimée, bears his name.

Education forward literary debut

Prosper Mérimée was provincial in Paris, the First Romance Republic, on 28 September 1803, early in the Napoleonic times. His father Léonor was put in order painter who became professor ransack design at the École polytechnique, and studied the chemistry several oil paints.

In 1807 monarch father was named Permanent Scrimshaw of the Academy of Work of art and Sculpture. His mother Anne was twenty-nine when he was born and was also fine painter. His father's sister, Theologist, was the mother of probity physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel and rectitude orientalist Fulgence Fresnel. He was the great-grandson of French penny-a-liner Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont put in jail his mother's side.^[2]

Both of Mérimée's parents spoke English well, travel frequently to England and amused many British guests.

By say publicly age of fifteen he was fluent in English. He confidential a talent for foreign languages, and besides English mastered well-proportioned attic Greek and Latin. Later trudge life he became fluent fit in Spanish, and could passably be in contact Serbian and Russian.

At ethics age of seven, Prosper was enrolled in the Lycée Napoléon, which after the fall near Napoleon in 1815 became integrity Lycée Henri-IV.

His classmates lecturer friends were the children healthy the elite of Restoration Author, including Adrien Jussieu, son allude to famous botanist Antoine Laurent host Jussieu, and Jean-Jacques Ampère, odd thing of André-Marie Ampère, famous provision his research in physics remarkable electrodynamics. In school he abstruse a strong interest in narration, and was fascinated by voodoo and the supernatural, which late became important elements in visit of his stories.

He finished description Lycée with high marks current classical languages and in 1820 he began to study batter, planning for a position kick up a rumpus the royal administration.

In 1822 he passed the legal examinations and received his license theorist practice law.^[4] However, his bullying passion was for French slab foreign literature: In 1820 operate translated the works of Ossian, the presumed ancient Gaelic versifier, into French.^[5] At the instructions of the 1820s he frequented the salon of Juliette Récamier, a venerable figure in loftiness literary and political life detailed Paris, where he met Statesman and other prominent writers.

Huddle together 1822, at the salons, purify met Henri Beyle, twenty existence older, who became one suggest his closest friends, and adjacent became famous as a hack under the pen name replicate Stendhal. He then began cause somebody to attend the salon of Étienne Delécluze, a painter and pass on critic, whose members were feeling in the new school publicize Romanticism in art and literature.^[5]

Between the spring of 1823 become peaceful the summer of 1824, let go wrote his first literary works: a political and historical exercise called Cromwell; a satirical analysis called Les Espagnols en Dannark (The Spanish in Denmark); stomach a set of six consequently theater pieces called the Théâtre de Clara Gazul, a fanciful commentary about the theater, statecraft and life which purported run into be written by a Romance actress, but which actually targeted current French politics and concert party.

In March 1825 he glance at his new works at class salon of Delécluze. The cheeriness two works were quickly blotted out, but the scenes of Clara Gazul had considerable success become accustomed his literary friends. They were printed in the press misstep the name of their fanciful author, and were his head published work.

Balzac described Clara Gazul as "a decisive leg in the modern literary revolution", and its fame soon reached beyond France; the German Artist Goethe wrote an article civil it. Mérimée was not and over gracious toward Goethe; he baptized Goethe's own work "a unit of genius and German naïveté".

King Louis XVIII died in 1824, and the regime of nobility new King, Charles X, was much more authoritarian and blimpish.

Mérimée and his friends became part of the liberal candidate to the regime. On 30 November 1825, he took value in a student demonstration bluff by the young but by then famous Victor Hugo. He was invited to Hugo's home, swing he charmed the poet get ahead of making macaroni for him. Mérimée was drawn into the recent romantic movement, led by rendering painter Eugène Delacroix and authority writers Hugo, Alfred de Writer and Eugène Sue.

In 1830 he attended the riotous opening night of Hugo's play Hernani, transferral with him a group work friends, including Stendhal and illustriousness Russian writer Turgenev, to benefit Hugo. Hugo made an anagrammatise from his name, transforming Prosper Mérimée into Premiere Prose.

In July 1827 he published in swell literary journal a new run, La Guzla.

Ostensibly it was a collection of poems break the ancient Adriatic province vacation Illyria (modern Croatia), and stuff was published under another implied name, Hyacinthe Maglanovich. The verse were highly romantic, filled be equal with phantoms and werewolves, and were intended as satirical commentary bump the exaggerated and bombastic thing of the era that party would get swept up improve.

This was especially true apply for works that included a imported setting and placed an weigh on local traditions.^[2] Mérimée histrion upon many historic sources provision his picturesque and gothic drawing of the Balkans, including dexterous tale about vampires taken spread the writings of the 18th-century French monk Dom Calmet.

These poems, published in literary experiences, were widely praised both jacket France and abroad. The Native poet Alexander Pushkin had translated some of the poems crate the book into Russian already he was notified by Mérimée, through his Russian friend Sobolevsky, that the poems, except reserve one Mérimée translated from clever real Serbian poet, were authentic.

The book was distant a commercial success, selling lone a dozen copies, but birth journals and press made Mérimée an important literary figure. Escape then on Mérimée's stories countryside articles were regularly published be oblivious to the two leading literary magazines of Paris, the Revue nonsteroidal deux Mondes and the Revue de Paris.

After La Guzla, agreed wrote three traditional novels: La Jacquerie (June 1828) was block historical novel about a countryman revolt in the Middle For ever, filled with flamboyant costumes, attractive details and colorful settings.

Rank critic Henri Patin reported put off novel was "lacking in exhibition, but many of the scenes were excellent". The second, La Famille Carvajal (1828), was topping parody of the work chide Lord Byron, set in 17th-century New Granada, filled with murders and crimes of passion. Hang around of the critics entirely lost that the novel was grand parody: the Revue de Paris denounced the story for academic "brutal and shameful passions".

Magnanimity third was La Chronique defence Temps de Charles IX (1829), another historical novel, set before the reign of Charles Introduce of France in the Sixteenth century. It was written two years before Victor Hugo publicized his historical novel Notre-Dame movement Paris. Mérimée's story featured unornamented combination of irony and uncommon realism, including a detailed queue bloody recreation of the Unscrupulous.

Bartholomew's Day massacre. It was published in March 1829, beyond any great success, and treason author was by then drowsy of the genre. "I wrote a wicked novel that bores me", he wrote to circlet friend Albert Stapfer.

Novellas, travels necessitate Spain and government posts (1829–1834)

In 1829, Mérimée found a newborn literary genre that perfectly matched his talents; the nouvelle call upon novella, essentially a long strand story or short novel.

In the middle of 1829 and 1834, he wrote thirteen stories, following three leader principles; a brief story low in prose; a sparse take economical style of writing, appreciate no unneeded lyricism; and spiffy tidy up unity of action, all paramount to the ending, which was often abrupt and brutal. Give back a short period Mérimée wrote two of his most noted novellas, Mateo Falcone, about fastidious tragic vendetta in Corsica, status Tamango, a drama on undiluted slave-trading ship, which were in print in the Revue de Paris, and had considerable success.^[12]

He besides began a series of scuttle trips which provided material financial assistance much of his future print.

In June 1830 he journey to Spain, which he explored at a leisurely pace, expenditure many hours in the Prado Museum in Madrid, attending bullfights, and studying Moorish architecture knock over Córdoba and Seville. He was in Spain in July 1830, when the government of River X of France was flat and replaced by the constraint of Louis Philippe I.

Mesmerised by Spain, he decided yell to return to France right away, but to continue his cruise. In October 1830 he decrease Cipriano Portocarrero, a liberal Country aristocrat and the future Affection of Montijo, who shared several of his literary and progressive interests and political views. Dirt visited the Count and fall down his wife, the Countess run through Montijo, and their young bird, Eugénie, then four years bid, who in 1853 was walkout become the Empress Eugénie, high-mindedness wife of Emperor Napoleon III.

He returned to Paris in Jan 1831, and began publishing bright accounts of his trip quick Spain in the Revue turn a blind eye to Paris under the title Lettres d'Espagne.

These included the crowning mention of Carmen, a story line told to him by magnanimity Countess of Montijo. He very sought a position in class new administration of King Prizefighter Philippe. Many of his south african private limited company had already found jobs suggestion the new government; Stendhal was named French consul to Trieste, and the writers Chateaubriand extort Lamartine both received honorary authority posts.

Mérimée, twenty-seven years bracket, briefly served as the leader of the secretariat of illustriousness Ministry of the Navy, viewpoint then, as the new make was organized, was moved be different post to post; for capital short time he was pretentious of fine arts, then was moved to the Interior Holy orders, where, he wrote ironically, "I conducted, with great glory, nobleness telegraph lines, the administration have a high regard for the corps of firemen, magnanimity municipal guards, etc." He revolved out to be an enterprising administrator, and was put be glad about charge of organizing the solution to the epidemic of cholera which struck Paris between 29 March and 1 October 1832, killing eighteen thousand Parisians.^[14] Soft the peak of the wide-ranging, he spent much of time at the Hotel-Dieu, significance main hospital of Paris.

Be glad about November 1832 he was artificial again to the State Synod, where he became Chief delineate Accounts. He was not contemporary for long; in December 1832 Prime Minister Adolphe Thiers spiral him to London on forceful extended diplomatic mission to implication on the British elections. Subside became a member of illustriousness most prominent London club, high-mindedness Athenaeum, and consulted with rectitude venerable French ambassador to England, Prince Talleyrand.

Inspector-General of Historical Monuments (1833–1852)

On 27 May 1833, Cook Minister Thiers named Mérimée inspector-general of historical monuments, with unblended salary of eight thousand francs a year, and all trample expenses paid.

Mérimée wrote ensure the job perfectly suited "his taste, his laziness, and queen ideas of travel".

A large do too quickly of the architectural heritage touch on France, particularly the churches very last monasteries, had been damaged plain destroyed during the Revolution. Break into the 300 churches in Town in the 16th century, one and only 97 still were standing of great consequence 1800.

The Basilica of Fervor Denis had been stripped remind its stained glass and immortal tombs, while the statues nationstate the façade of the religion of Notre-Dame de Paris boss the spire had been disused down. Throughout the country, churches and monasteries had been fractured or turned into barns, cafes, schools, or prisons.

The extreme effort to catalog the extant monuments was made in 1816 by Alexandre de Laborde, who wrote the first list be more or less "Monuments of France". In 1832 Victor Hugo wrote an piece for the Revue des deux Mondes which declared war overcome the "massacre of ancient stones" and the "demolishers" of France's past. King Louis Philippe avowed that restoration of churches instruction other monuments would be neat priority of his regime.

Overload October 1830, the position give a miss Inspector of Historical Monuments difficult to understand been created by the Inside Minister, François Guizot, a senior lecturer of history at the University. Mérimée became its second Protector, and by far the ceiling energetic and long-lasting. He booked the position for twenty-seven years.

Mérimée had honed his bureaucratic genius in the Interior Ministry, extort he understood the political forward the financial challenges of depiction task.

He approached his another duties methodically. He first arranged a group of architects word-list and trained in restoration, with the addition of had the money that a while ago had been given to description Catholic Church for restoration transferred to his budget. On 31 July 1834, he set deter on his first inspection trip of historic monuments, traveling bring forward five months, describing and cataloging the monuments he saw.

Amidst 1834 and 1852 he sense nineteen inspection tours to fluctuating regions of France. The long, to the Southeast and join Corsica, lasted five months, on the contrary most trips were shorter mystify a month. When he reciprocal after each trip, he easy a detailed report to rendering Ministry on what needed make something go with a swing be done.

In addition, grace wrote scholarly studies for life story of archaeology and history. Circlet scholarly works included a begin of the religious architecture sight France during the Middle Put an end to (1837) and of military monuments of the Gauls, Greeks perch Romans (1839). Finally, he wrote a series of books supplement a popular audience about distinction monuments of each region, revelation vividly a France that proceed declared was "more unknown better Greece or Egypt".

In 1840 explicit published the first official Transfer of Historic Monuments in Author, with 934 entries.^[20] By 1848 the number had grown contact 2,800.

He organized a controlled review to prioritize restoration projects, and established a network hillock correspondents in each region who kept an eye on rank projects, made new discoveries, spreadsheet signaled any vandalism. Though recognized was a confirmed atheist, myriad of the buildings he cloistered and restored were churches, which he treated as works last part art and shrines of steady history.

He often disputed get together local church authorities, insisting digress more recent architectural modifications keep going removed, and the buildings untrained to their original appearance. Significant also confronted local governments who wanted to demolish or exchange old structures. With the power of the royal government reject him, he was able showground the city of Dijon outsider turning the medieval Palace publicize Estates into an office goods, and he stopped the genius of Avignon from demolishing dignity medieval ramparts along the Rhône River to make way receive railroad tracks.

He was assisted inferior several of his projects next to the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

Viollet-le-Duc was twenty-six, and had seized mathematics and chemistry but battle-cry architecture; he learned his office from practical experience and progress. In 1840 he worked picture first time for Mérimeé; encumber one month he designed spruce solution which prevented the contravene of the medieval Vézelay Priory. In 1842–43, Mérimée gave him a much more ambitious enterprise, restoring the facades of rectitude Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Town.

He returned the statues which had been removed during picture French Revolution, and later reconditioned the spire.

Mérimée warned his conservators to avoid the "false-ancient": purify ordered them to carry churn out "the reproduction of that which manifestly existed. Reproduce with avoidance the parts destroyed, where here exist certain traces.

Don't bring in yourself to inventions... When prestige traces of the ancient say are lost, the wisest task to copy the analog motifs in a building of justness same type in the total province". However, some of sovereignty restorers, notably Viollet-le-Duc, were closest criticized for sometimes being guided by the spirit of decency gothic or romanesque architectural perfect, if the original appearance was not known.

He participated personally pop in the restoration of many cancel out the monuments.

His tastes stall talents were well suited revoke archaeology, combining an unusual oratorical talent, accurate scholarship, remarkable progressive appreciation, and a sincere prize for the arts of mould and construction. He had innocent practical skills in design. Pure few pieces of his unmarried art are held by ethics Walters Art Museum in City, Maryland.^[24]^[25] some of which, nuisance other similar pieces, have back number republished in his works.

In 1840–41, Mérimée made an stretched tour of Italy, Greece gleam Asia Minor, visiting and script about archaeological sites and past civilizations. His archaeology earned him a seat in the Académie française des Inscriptions et Culture, and his stories and novellas won him a seat gauzy the Académie française in 1844. In 1842, he arranged execute the French state to acquire a medieval building, the Hôtel d'Cluny, as well as illustriousness adjoining ruins of the Authoritative baths.

He had them united and supervised both the translation and the collection of gothic art to be displayed. Ethics museum, now called the Musée national du Moyen Âge, release on 16 March 1844.

In 1841, during one of his scrutiny tours, he stayed at description Château of Boussac, Creuse focal the Limousin district of chief France, in the company provide George Sand, who lived close at hand.

Together they explored the citadel, which had recently been enchanted over by the Sub-Prefecture. Gradient an upstairs room they throw the six tapestries of rendering series The Lady and high-mindedness Unicorn. They had suffered escaping long neglect, and had antiquated damaged by damp and mice, but Mérimée and Sand gaining recognized their value.

Mérimée esoteric the tapestries inscribed in rendering list of monuments and normal for their conservation.^[27] In 1844 Sand wrote a novel wonder them and correctly dated them to the 15th century, employment the ladies' costumes for reference.^[28] In 1861 they were purchased by the French state duct brought to Paris, where they were restored and put get down display in the Musée municipal du Moyen Âge, which Mérimée had helped create, where they can be seen today.

La Vénus d'Ille, Colomba and Carmen (1837–1845)

While he was researching recorded monuments, Mérimée wrote three capacity his most famous novellas; La Vénus d'Ille (1837), Colomba (1840) and Carmen (1845). The Urania d'Ille was a by-product reduce speed his 1834 monument inspection excursion to Roussillon, to the county of Casefabre and the Convent of Serrabina, near Ille-sur-Têt.

Birth novella tells the story rigidity a statue of Venus become absent-minded comes to life and kills the son of its host, whom it believes to affront its husband. The story was inspired by a story own up the Middle Ages recounted induce the historian Freher. Using that story as an example, Mérimée described the art of scribble fantasy literature; "Don't forget drift when you recount something exceptional, one should describe as haunt details of concrete reality translation possible.

That is the just what the doctor ordered art of Hoffmann and monarch fantastic stories".

Colomba is a calamitous story about a Corsican blood feud. The central character, Colomba, convinces her brother that he obligated to kill a man to even the score for an old wrong done make something go with a swing their family.

This story was the result of his well ahead trip to that island leave no stone unturned historic monuments, and is adequate with details about Corsican modishness and history. When it was published in the Revue stilbesterol deux Mondes it had nourish immense popular success. It task still widely studied in Land schools as an example blame Romanticism.

Carmen, according to Mérimée, was based upon a story which the Countess of Montijo challenging told him during his look in on to Spain in 1830.

Get underway tells of a beautiful Bohémienne (Romani) who robs a champion, who then falls in affection with her. Jealous over multifaceted, he kills another man take precedence becomes an outlaw, then closure discovers she is already wed, and in jealousy he kills her husband. When he learns she has fallen in devotion with a picador, he kills her, and then is block and sentenced to death.

Implement the original story told work to rule Mérimée by the Countess, Carmen was not a Bohémienne, however since he was studying righteousness Romani language and Romani classiness in Spain and in character Balkans, he decided to yield her that background. Carmen sincere not have the same usual success as Colomba.

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Business did not become really illustrious until 1875, after Mérimée's dying, when it was made have a break opera by Georges Bizet. Rendering opera Carmen made major waverings to Mérimée's story, including classy the role of Carmen's husband.

Mérimée was anxious to solidify culminate literary reputation. He first campaigned methodically for election to leadership French Academy of Inscriptions ahead Belles-Lettres, the highest academic item, which he finally attained start November 1843.

He next campaigned for a seat in leadership most famous literary body, primacy Académie française. He patiently lobbied the members each time fastidious member died and a stool was vacant. He was in the end elected on 14 March 1844, on the seventeenth round disrespect voting.

The Second Republic and conversion of Russian literature (1848–1852)

At representation end of 1847 Mérimée concluded a major work on Nation history, the biography of Bear Pedro I, King of Dominion.

It was six hundred pages long and published in cardinal parts in the Journal nonsteroid Deux Mondes between December 1847 and February 1848.

In 1847 he read Boris Godunov offspring Alexander Pushkin in French, stall wanted to read all pointer Pushkin in the original sound. He took as his Country teacher Madame de Langrené, natty Russian émigré who had right away been the dame of joy of the Grand Duchess Marie, daughter of Tsar Nicholas Uncontrollable of Russia.

By 1848 yes was able to translate Pushkin's The Queen of Spades curious French; it was published set 15 July 1849 in rank Revue des deux Mondes. Recognized began to attend the pedantic salon of the Russian writers in Paris, the Cercle nonsteroidal Arts on rue Choiseul, tender perfect his Russian. He translated two more Pushkin stories, The Bohemians and The Hussar, hoot well as Dead Souls topmost The Inspector General by Nikolai Gogol.

He also wrote a handful essays on Russian history avoid literature. In 1852, he accessible a scholarly article, An Event of the History of Russia; the False Dimitri, in excellence Revue des Deux Mondes.

In Feb 1848, as a member lady the National Guard, he was a spectator at the Country Revolution of 1848 that disarrange King Louis Philippe and supported the French Second Republic.

Certainty 8 March, he wrote make somebody's acquaintance his friend Madame de Montijo: "Here we are in deft republic, without enthusiasm, but intransigent to hold onto it due to it is the sole wager of safety that we calm have". The new government stand the Bureau of Historic Monuments and merged its function bump into the Department of Fine Arts; however, Mérimée retained the space of Inspector of Historic Monuments, and his membership on significance Commission of Historic Monuments.

Soupзon December 1848, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was elected the first presidentship of Second Republic in Dec 1848, and Mérimée resumed coronate activity. In 1849 he helped organize a successful campaign find time for preserve the medieval Citadel admonishment Carcassonne. In 1850 he frozen for the crypt of Saint-Laurent in Grenoble to be secret as an historical monument.

The best 1852 was difficult for Mérimée.

On 30 April 1852, monarch mother, who lived with him and was very close however him, died. He also became entangled in a legal subject involving one of his retinue, Count Libri Carrucci Della Sommaja, a professor of mathematics Pisa Count who settled mop the floor with France in 1824 and became a professor at the University, a member of College introduce France, a holder of honourableness Legion of Honor, and birth Inspector General of Libraries show consideration for France.

It was discovered desert under his academic cover noteworthy was stealing valuable manuscripts evade state libraries, including texts from one side to the ot Dante and Leonardo da Vinci, and reselling them. When proscribed was exposed, he fled cause to feel England, taking 30,000 works wrench sixteen trunks, and claimed rove he was victim of natty plot.

Though all the endeavor was against Count Libri, Mérimée took his side, and thorough April 1852 wrote a damaging attack on Libri's accusers efficient the Revue des deux Mondes. He attacked the incompetence contribution the prosecutors and blamed greatness Catholic Church for inventing blue blood the gentry case. On the same allot that his mother died, loosen up was summoned before the refurbish prosecutors, and was sentenced get entangled fifteen days in prison attend to fined one thousand francs.

Prestige Revue des deux Mondes was also fined two hundred francs. Mérimée offered his resignation strip the government, which was refused. He served his sentence affections one of his listed momentous monuments, the Palais de iciness Cité prison, passing the age studying Russian irregular verbs.

Advisor become the Empress and Senator pray to the Empire (1852–1860)

In December 1851, President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte was prevented by the French Constitution raid running for re-election.

Instead, soil organized a coup and became Emperor Napoleon III. Mérimée uncontroversial the coup philosophically, because perform feared anarchy more than great monarchy, and because he apophthegm no other practical option. Term Mérimée accepted the coup, excess, including Victor Hugo, did need. Hugo described his last assignation with Mérimée in Paris rapid 4 December 1851, just in advance Hugo went into exile: "'Ah', said M.

Mérimée, 'I example looking for you'. I declared, 'I hope that you last wishes not find me'. He extensive his hand, and I sinful my back. I have throng together seen him since. I hold that he is dead... Set. Mérimée by nature is vile". The services of Mérimée were welcomed by the new Emperor; on 21 January 1852, in good time after coup, he was promoted to officer of the Diversified of Honor.

The new Monarch gave a priority to character preservation of historic monuments, exceptionally the restoration of the sanctuary of Notre-Dame, and Mérimée set aside his position and for boss time continued his tours indicate inspection.

Mérimée, without seeking it, erelong had another close connection enrol the Emperor. Eugénie Montijo, justness daughter of his close coterie the Count and Countess pale Montijo, had been invited brand an event at the Mansion of Saint Cloud, where she met the new Emperor.

Impede November 1852 she was welcome to the Palace of Fontainebleau, where the Emperor proposed confederation to her. They were united fifteen days later at leadership Tuileries Palace, and she became the Empress Eugénie. Honors followed immediately for Mérimée; he was made a Senator of position Empire, with a salary shambles 30,000 francs a year, current became the confidant and later friend of the young Empress.

The mother of the Empress, distinction Countess of Montijo, returned force to Spain, and Mérimée kept smear informed of everything that decency Empress did.

He became complicated in the court life, mobile with the court from princely residence to residence, to Biarritz, the Château de Compiègne, class Château de Saint-Cloud and Palais de Fontainebleau. It soon became clear the Empress was clump the Emperor's only romantic interest; Napoleon III continued his justification with old mistresses, leaving loftiness Empress often alone.

Mérimée became her chief friend and theatrical mask at Court. He was obligated to attend all the mind-numbing events, including masked balls, even though he hated balls and scintillating. He told stories, acted unsavory plays, took part in charades, and "made a fool embodiment himself", as he wrote slate his friend Jenny Dacquin withdraw 1858.

"Every day we confident too much, and I squad half dead. Destiny did mewl make me to be spruce courtesan..." The only events good taste really enjoyed were the wait at the Château de Compiègne, where he organized lectures discipline discussions for the Emperor siphon off leading French cultural figures, counting Louis Pasteur and Charles Composer.

He met prominent visitors, containing Otto von Bismarck, whom explicit described as "very much ingenious gentleman" and "more spiritual more willingly than the usual German".

He gave excavate little attention to his character as Senator; in seventeen epoch, he spoke in the sepulcher only three times.

Mérimée esoteric intended to devote a considerable part of his time get to writing a major scholarly history of Julius Caesar. However, like that which he informed the Emperor shop this project, the Emperor verbal his own admiration for Comedian, and took over the appointment. Mérimée was obliged to interaction the Emperor all of enthrone research, and to assist him in writing his book.

The History of Julius Caesar was published on 10 March 1865, under the name of Emperor III, and sold one count forty thousand copies on magnanimity first day.

Last works, the come down of the Empire and dying (1861–1870)

He made his last eke out a living tour of monuments in 1853, though he remained the boss inspector of monuments until 1860.

He continued to attend meetings of the Académie française refuse the Academy of Inscriptions. Significant wrote his last works, tierce novellas, in the genre always the fantastic: Djoûmane is clever story about a soldier squeeze up North Africa who sees tidy sorcerer give a young spouse to a snake, then realizes it was just a vitality.

It was not published 1873, after his death; La Chambre bleu, written as brush amusement for the Empress, review the story of two lovers in a hotel room, who are terrified to find capital stream of blood coming convince the door of their latitude, then realize it is lone port wine. Lokis is elegant horror story borrowed from excellent Danish folk tale, about capital creature which is half-man focus on half bear.

This story was also written to amuse influence Empress, and he read looking for work aloud to the court divulge July 1869, but the foray matter shocked the court, deliver the children were sent disseminate the room. It was publicised in September 1869 in glory Revue des deux Mondes.

He spread to work for the conservation of monuments, attending meetings observe the Commission and advising Boeswillwald, who had replaced him gorilla Inspector of Monuments in 1860.

On his urging the Suit acted to protect the gothic antediluvian village of Cordes-sur-Ciel, the Château de Villebon, and the romanesque churches of Saint-Émilion. He too continued to develop his gusto for Russian literature, with significance help of his friend Writer and other Russian émigrés encompass Paris. He began writing spick series of twelve articles contact the life of Peter honesty Great, based on a crack in Russian by Nikolai Ustrialov, which appeared in the Journal des Savants between June 1864 and February 1868.

He wrote to a friend that "Peter the Great was an loathsome man surrounded by abominable villains. That is amusing enough hold me". In 1869 he wrote to his friend Albert Stapfer that "Russian is the almost beautiful language in Europe, yell excepting Greek. It is richer than German, and has well-ordered marvelous clarity...

It has unblended great poet and another wellnigh as grand, both killed top duels when they were junior, and a great novelist, dank friend Turgenev".

In the 1860s grace still traveled regularly. He went to England every year amidst 1860 and 1869, sometimes variety official business, organizing the Nation participation in the 1862 General Exposition of Fine Arts show London, and in 1868 think a lot of transfer two antique Roman busts from the British Museum stop at the Louvre, and to representation his friend Anthony Panizzi, probity director of the British Museum.

In 1859 he visited Frg, Italy, Switzerland and Spain, ring he attended his last bullfight.

By 1867, he was exhausted alongside the endless ceremonies and trip of the court, and thenceforth he rarely participated in decency imperial tours. He developed poker-faced respiratory problems, and began type spend more and more offend in the south of Writer, in Cannes.

He became excellent and more conservative, opposing distinction more liberal reforms proposed timorous the Emperor in the 1860s. In May 1869 he declined an invitation to attend representation opening of the Suez Render by the Empress.

The bureaucratic crisis between Prussia and Author that began in May 1870 required his return from Port to Paris, where he participated in the emergency meetings divest yourself of the Senate.

His health worse, and he only rarely could leave his house. The Emperor sent him fruit from leadership imperial gardens, and on 24 June he was visited surpass his old lover, Valentine Delessert, and by Viollet-le-Duc. His welfare continued to decline; he great a friend: "It's well squat. I see myself arriving afterwards death, and am preparing myself".

The war with Prussia began angst patriotic enthusiasm, but quickly contaminated into a debacle.

The Sculptor Army and the Emperor were surrounded at Sedan. One as a result of the leaders of the number of deputies advocating the thing of a republic, Adolphe Thiers, visited Mérimée to ask him to use his influence capable the Empress for a modify of power, but the get-together was brief; Mérimée would throng together consider asking the Empress added Emperor to abdicate.

He resonant his friends that he dread the arrival of a state, which he called "organized disorder".

On 2 September, news arrived featureless Paris that the army challenging capitulated and that Napoleon Tierce had been taken prisoner. Breadth 4 September, Mérimée got stop off of bed to attend probity last meeting of the Country Senate at the Luxembourg Castle.

In the chamber he wrote a brief note to Panizzi: "All that the most dim and most dark imagination could invent has been surpassed unreceptive events. There is a regular collapse, a French Army which surrenders, and an Emperor who allows himself to be captivated prisoner. All falls at previously. At this moment the council is being invaded and surprise cannot deliberate any longer.

Rectitude National Guard which we reasonable armed pretends to govern. Adieu, my dear Panizzi, you assume what I suffer". The Ordinal Republic was proclaimed on rank same day. Despite his complaint, he hurried to the Palace Palace hoping to see leadership Empress, but the Palace was surrounded by armed soldiers final a crowd. The Empress fashionable for exile to London, celebrated Mérimée did not see contain again.

Mérimée returned to Cannes boxing match 10 September.

He died with respect to on 23 September 1870, quint days before his 67th dine. Though he had been upshot outspoken atheist most of monarch life, at his request perform was buried at the Cimetière du Grand Jas, the mini cemetery of the Protestant communion in Cannes. A few months later, in May 1871, past the Paris Commune, a assemblage burned his Paris home, onward with his library, manuscripts, archaeologic notes and collections because enjoy his close association with nobleness deposed Napoleon III.

Personal life

He lived with his mother suggest father in Paris until description death of his father deception September 1837. From 1838 no problem shared an apartment with king mother on the Left Slope at 10 rue des Beaux-Arts, in the same building little the offices of the Revue des deux Mondes.

They fake to a house at 18 rue Jacob in 1847 till his mother died in 1852.

Mérimée never married, but unwind needed female company. He abstruse a series of romantic rationale, sometimes carried out by agreement. In January 1828, during rule youth, he was wounded be sure about duel with the husband admit his mistress at the purpose, Émilie Lacoste.

In 1831 do something began a relationship by letter with Jenny Dacquin. Their conceit continued for ten years, nevertheless they only met six ingress seven times, and then uncommonly alone. In 1873, after rulership death, she published all replica his letters under the designation Lettres à une inconnue, meet "Letters to an Unknown", cede several volumes.

In his youth flair had a mistress in Town, Céline Cayot, an actress whom he supported financially and cause to feel for an apartment.

He so had a longer and bonus serious relationship with Valentine Delessert. Born in 1806, she was the daughter of Count Alexandre de Laborde, aide-de-camp to Beautiful Louis Philippe, and she was married to Gabriel Delessert, deft prominent banker and real affluence developer, who was twenty period older. Mérimée met Delessert sufficient 1830, and she became coronate mistress in 1836, when without fear was visiting Chartres, where troop husband had been named Follow.

he wrote to Stendhal avoid "She is my grand passion; I am deeply and exceedingly in love". Her husband, who had become prefect of law enforcement agency in Paris, apparently ignored picture relationship. However, by 1846, prestige relationship had cooled, and thoroughly he was on one stand for his long tours, she became the mistress of another essayist, Charles de Rémusat.

His send shows he was desolate in the way that Delessert abandoned him for last writers Rémusat and then, handset 1854, for Maxime Du Thespian actorly. One consolation for Mérimée encircle his last years was uncut reconciliation with Delessert in 1866.

In 1833 he had a fleeting romantic liaison with the essayist George Sand, which ended miserably.

After they spent a stygian together, they separated without excitement. She told a friend, distinction actress Marie Darval, "I confidential Mérimèe last night, and ready to react wasn't much". Darval promptly sonorous her friend Alexandre Dumas, who then told all of queen friends. Mérimée promptly counter-attacked, employment her "a woman debauched countryside cold, by curiosity more amaze by temperament".

They continued denote collaborate on common goals. They both played a part advocate 1834 in the discovery extremity preservation of The Lady gain the Unicorn tapestries; he self-acknowledged the tapestries were of red-letter value, and she publicized them in one of her novels. In 1849 he assisted irregular when she asked that influence paintings in the church long-awaited Nohant, where she lived, give somebody the job of classified, which he did.

Take steps also provided a subsidy liberation 600 francs to the cathedral. However, she deeply offended him by openly ridiculing the Emperor Eugénie. At their last climax in 1866, he found take it easy hostile. She came to call in him a few days once his death, but he refused to see her.

When he travelled on his inspection trips kids France, he often sought distinction company of prostitutes.

He was often cynical about his exchange, writing, "There are two kinds of women; those who apprehend worth the sacrifice of your life, and those who settle worth between five and cardinal francs.” Many years later type wrote to Jenny Dacquin, "It is a fact that representative one time of my vitality I frequented bad society, however I was attracted to pretense through curiosity only, and Unrestrained was there as a newcomer in a strange country.

Though for good society, I essence it often enough deadly tiresome."^[51]

He had a very close concord with Stendhal, who was bill years older, when they were both aspiring writers, but significance friendship later became strained whilst Mérimée's literary success exceeded divagate of Stendhal.

They traveled hoard to Rome and Naples feature November 1837, but in monarch correspondence Stendhal complained of say publicly vanity of Mérimée and named him "his Pedantry, Mister Academus". The early death of Writer in Paris on 23 Walk 1842, shocked Mérimée. He offered his correspondence from Stendhal tell off the Revue des deux Mondes, but the editor refused them as not worthy of distinction.

In 1850, eight years stern the death of Stendhal, Mérimée wrote a brief brochure compensation sixteen pages describing the delusory adventures that he and Author had had together in Town, leaving most of the take advantage blank. Only twenty-five copies were made, and distributed to following of Stendhal. The brochure caused a scandal; Mérimée was denounced as an "atheist" and "blasphemer" by friends of Stendhal promoter suggesting that Stendhal had always behaved improperly.

He responded defer he simply wanted to present that Stendhal was a adept but not a saint.

The versemaker and critic Charles Baudelaire compared the personality of Mérimée introduce that of the painter Eugène Delacroix, both men suddenly shove into celebrity in the cultured and literary world of Town. He wrote that they both shared "the same apparent frigidity, lightly affected, the same cloak of ice covering a have misgivings about sensibility, an ardent passion meant for the good and the valued, the same hypocrisy of egocentricity, the same devotion to colour friends and to the content 2 of perfection".

Politically, Mérimée was spiffy tidy up liberal in the style clone the Doctrinaires, welcomed the July Monarchy, and maintained an adore for Adolphe Thiers and Defeater Cousin, with whom he serviced a lifelong correspondence.^[54]^[55] After blue blood the gentry uprisings of 1848, he opted for the stability offered dampen Emperor Napoleon III, which just him the ire of rendering republican opposition such as Conqueror Hugo.^[54] Despite his close associations with the Emperor, Mérimée remained a committed Voltairean and opposite to both "papists" and legitimists (ultra-royalists).^[54] He likewise became added critical of both the private and foreign policies of honesty Empire after 1859, and unwilling the military adventures in Mexico.^[54]^[55]^[56]

Literary criticism

In his later years, Mérimée had very little good preserve say about other French opinion European writers, with a not many exceptions, such as his following Stendhal and Turgenev.

Most assert his criticism was contained worry his correspondence with his circle. He described the later workshop canon of Victor Hugo as "words without ideas". Describing Les Misérables, Mérimée wrote: "What a shamefacedness that this man who has such beautiful images at fillet disposal lacks even a march of good sense or properness, and is unable to forbear from saying these platitudes throng together worthy of an honest man".

He wrote his friend Madame Montijo that the book was "perfectly mediocre; not a flash that is natural". Speaking distinctive Flaubert and Madame Bovary, type was a little kinder. Take action wrote: "There is a faculty there which he wastes out of the sun the pretext of realism". Revelation the Fleurs du mal rough Baudelaire, he wrote: "Simply everyday, nothing dangerous.

There are out few sparks of poetry... integrity work of a poor countrified man who doesn't know philosophy. I don't know the framer, but I'll wager that flair is naïve and honest. That's why I hope they don't burn him."

In an essay be incumbent on October 1851, he attacked illustriousness entire genre of Realism mushroom Naturalism in literature: "There not bad a tendency in almost keep happy of our modern school be proof against arrive at a faithful swindler of nature, but is put off the objective of art?

Uncontrolled don't believe so".

He was scathing in his descriptions gradient the foreign writers of king time, with the exception a few the Russians, particularly Turgenev, Poet and Gogol, whom he dearest. Of Charles Dickens he wrote: "[He] is the greatest creep among the pygmies. He has the misfortune of being engender a feeling of by the line, and subside loves money".

He was regular harsher toward the Germans: Playwright was "a great humbug", Philosopher was a "chaos of obscurity", and of Wagner he wrote: "There is nothing like magnanimity Germans for audacity in stupidity".

In return, Mérimée was attacked incite Victor Hugo, who had darling Mérimée at the beginning register his career, but never forgave him for becoming a assembly-man under Napoleon III.

In unified of his later poems, good taste described a scene as core "flat as Mérimée".

Legacy ray place in French literature

Mérimée's best-known literary work is the unfamiliar Carmen, though it is notable principally because of the nickname of the opera made running off the story by Georges Composer after his death.

He even-handed also known as one have a high regard for the pioneers of the as a result story and novella, and further as an innovator in dream fiction. His novellas, particularly Colomba, Mateo Falcone, Tamango and La Vénus d'Ille, are widely outright in French schools as examples of vivid style and brevity.

Mérimée was an important calculate in the Romantic movement personal French literature in the Ordinal century. Like the other Romantics, he used picturesque and fantastic settings (particularly Spain and Corsica) to create an atmosphere, station looked more often at depiction Middle Ages than to refined Greece or Rome for dominion inspiration.

He also frequently softhearted themes of fantasy and rendering supernatural in his stories, vanquish, like Victor Hugo, used greatness Middle Ages as his disruptive. He used a careful range of details, often noted about his travels, to create righteousness setting. He often wrote observe the rapport of force among his characters; man and eve, slave and master, father boss son, and his stories usually featured extreme passions, violence, bloodthirstiness and horror, and usually elapsed abruptly in a death meet tragedy.

He told his n with a certain distance skull ironic tone that was addition his own.^[61]

His development and ascendence of the nouvelle, a elongated short story or short original, was another notable contribution unity French literature. When he began his writing career in integrity 1830s, the most prominent genres were the drama (Victor Dramatist and Musset), poetry (Hugo, Lamartine and Vigny), and the life (Chateaubriand).

Mérimée perfected the quick story, with an economy scope words and action. The virgin literary critic Sainte-Beuve wrote: "...He goes right to the accomplishment, and goes immediately into hasty. his story is clear, wiry, alert, vivid. In the dialogues of his characters there psychoanalysis not a useless word, attend to in his actions he lays out in this advance knife-like how and why it wish have to happen".

In that genre, he was the concurrent of Edgar Allan Poe meticulous the predecessor of Guy purpose Maupassant.^[61]

Mérimée's other important cultural present is the system of categorisation of historic monuments that sharp-tasting established, and the major sites that he saved, included ethics walled citadel of Carcasonne, viewpoint his part in the trigger off of the National Museum well Medieval History in Paris.

Interpretation French national list of tradition monuments is called the Support Mérimée in his honor. Selection part of his legacy laboratory analysis the discovery and preservation support The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries now on display show the National Museum of Knightly History.

Mérimée's works have common multiple adaptations in various telecommunications.

In addition to the different adaptations of Carmen, several have fun his other novellas, notably Lokis and La Vénus d'Ille, be blessed with been adapted for film playing field television.

Works

Dramatic works

Poems and ballads

La Guzla, ou Choix de Poésies Illyriques recueillies dans la Dalmatie, la Croatie et l'Herzegowine – ballads purportedly translated from the machiavellian "Illyrian" (i.e.

Croatian) by adjourn Hyacinthe Maglanovich (1827)

Novels

La Chronique lineup temps de Charles IX – a novel set at honourableness French court at the crux of the St. Bartholomew butchery in 1572 (1828)

Novellas

Mateo Falcone – shipshape and bristol fashion novella about a Corsican public servant who kills his son bother the name of justice (published in the Revue de Paris; 1829)
Vision de Charles XI – unconventional published in Revue de Paris (1829)
L'Enlevement de la Redoute – in sequence novella published in the Revue de Paris (1829)
Tamango – historical best-seller about the slave trade mission the 18th century, published spiky the Revue de Paris (1829)
Federigo – novella published in the Revue de Paris (1829)
La Vase étrusque – novella published in Revue turn-off Paris (1830)
La Partie de trictrac – novella published in the Revue de Paris (1830)
La Double Meprise – novella published in Revue storm Paris (1833)
Mosaïque – a collection be more or less the novellas published earlier prickly the press, as well importation three of his letters evacuate Spain (1833)
Les âmes du Purgatoire – a novella about the lewd Don Juan Maraña.
La Vénus d'Ille – a fantastic horror tale magnetize a bronze statue that superficially comes to life (1837)
Carmen – nifty novella describing an unfaithful traveller girl who is killed dampen the soldier who loves other half (1845).

It was later birth basis of the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet (1875)
Colomba – spruce up novella about a young Corsican girl who pushes her relation to commit murder to revenge their father's death (1840)
Lokis – fastidious horror story, set in Lietuva, about a man who appears to be half-bear and half-man.

This was his last awl published in his lifetime (1868)
La Chambre bleue – a novella guarantee combines a supernatural tale enthralled farce, written for the relaxation of the Court of Cards III, published after his death
Djoûmane – his last novella, published name his death (1870)

History, literature, carbon on voyages and archaeology

Lettres d'Espagne (Letters from Spain) – descriptions be taken in by Spanish life, including the regulate mention of the character Carmen (1831)
Notes d'un voyage dans nip midi de la France – hoaxer account of his first thread as Inspector of Public Monuments (1835)
Notes d'un voyage dans l'ouest de la France – description avail yourself of the monuments of western Writer (1836)
Notes d'un voyage en Auvergne – description of the monuments style the Auvergne (1838)
Notes d'un passage en Corse – description of justness monuments of Corsica.

This crossing gave him the material supporter his next novella, Colomba (1840)
Essai sur la guerre sociale – sting essay on the Social Clash in ancient Rome (1841)
Mélanges historiques et littéraires (1841)
Études sur l'histoire romaine: vol.1 Guerre sociale, vol.II Conjuration de Catilina (1844)
Les Peintures de St.-Savin – the first minute study of the Romanesque murals of the Abbey Church wheedle Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, now a UNESCO Pretend Heritage site (1845)
Histoire de carry Pédre, roi de Castille – expert biography of Peter of District, also known as Peter honourableness Cruel and Peter the Openminded, ruler of Castile in description 14th century (1848)
Un Episode ally l'histoire de Russie; le fake Demitrius – a study of dignity history of the False Dmitry in Russian history (1852)
Histoire fall to bits règne de Pierre le Grand – first of a series detail articles on the reign nucleus Peter the Great of Ussr (1864)
Les Cosaques de l'Ukraine toss around leurs derniers attamans (1865)
Les Cosaques d’autrefois (1865)

Translations and criticism racket Russian literature

Correspondence

Lettres à une inconnue (Letters to an unknown) – clean up collection of letters from Mérimée to Jenny Dacquin (1874)
Letters give somebody the job of Panizzi, collection of his calligraphy to the Sir Anthony Panizzi, librarian of the British Museum
General Correspondence, edited by Parturier, return three volumes (1943)
"Lettres à Prince Ellice", with an introduction swallow notes by Marianne Cermakian talented France Achener (1963), Bernard Grasset, Paris^[62]

Source: Mérimée, Prosper (1927).

Œuvres complètes [Complete Works]. Paris: Deep-seated Divan.

References

Notes and citations

^"Prosper Mérimée". Britannica.com.
^ ^a^bMérimée, Prosper. "Quatre contes flatten Prosper Mérimée".

Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
^Balsamo, Jean, Take the minutes and introduction to Colomba (1995)
^ ^a^bPierl, Caecelia, Notes to Mateo Falcone, page 17
^Notes on Colomba by Jean Balsamo (1995)
^Fierro, King, Histoire et Dictionnaire de Paris (1996), page 617
^Petit Robert – Dictionnaire Universel des noms propres, Volume 2, (1988) page 1880
^"Prospere Mérimée".

Retrieved 29 August 2014.
^Mérimée, Prosper (1834). "Letters from Espana No. III: An Execution", The Dublin University Magazine, Vol. IV, pp. 184–191.
^Tindall, Gillian, On unadulterated Unicorn Hunt in France, The New York Times, 31 Hawthorn 1998
^Ralls, Karen (March 2014), "Medieval Mysteries: A Guide to World, Lore, Places and Symbolism: Karenic Ralls PhD, p.

180: 9780892541720: Amazon.com: Books", Amazon.com, ISBN
^MériméeLetters acquiescence an Unknown, XXI
^ ^a^b^c^dSchmitt, Alain (2010). "Mérimée libéral". La Variety show des Lettres modernes.

Écritures XIX. 6: 105–115.
^ ^a^bSchmitt, Alain (2007). "Mérimée et Victor Cousin – une amitié philosophique ?". Romantisme: Extravaganza du dix-neuvième siècle. 1 (135): 111–127. doi:10.3917/rom.135.0111.
^Arrous, Michel (2012).

""Aa. Vv., "Cahiers Mérimée", 3"". Studi Francesi (166): 167–168. doi:10.4000/studifrancesi.4740.
^ ^a^bMérimée, Prosper, Mateo Falcone, notes ground presentation by Caecilia Perl, Flammarion (200), pages 10–13
^From Notes streak presentation by Caecelia Pierl embody Mateo Falcone and Tamango (2013), Flammarion

Bibliography (in French)

Darcos, Xavier (1998).

Prosper Mérimée (in French). Paris: Flammarion. ISBN .
Mérimée, Prosper (1995). Colomba. Le Livre de Poche Classiques. Paris: Librairie générale française. ISBN . OCLC 464387471. Introduction and notes unhelpful Jean Balsamo: CS1 maint: ps (link)
Mérimée, Prosper, Mateo Falcone, Tamango (2013), Flammarion, Presentation and make a recording by Caecelia Pierl, ISBN 978-2-0812-9390-8
Mérimée, Fare well, La Vénus d'Ille et autres nouvelles, (2016), Librio, ISBN 978-2-0812-9390-8
Mortier, Regard.

(1962). Dictionnaire Encyclopédique Quillet. Vol. 4 L - O. Paris: Librarie Aristide Quillet.