Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”)
The article represents the first academic study of two early Montesquieu’s works — “The Temple of Gnidos” (1725) and “Journey to Paphos” (1727). Under the guise of ancient heroes and gods these “novels with a key” portray real people easily recognizable by contemporaries — the author himself and his...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Studia Litterarum |
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| Online Access: | http://studlit.ru/images/2022-7-1/06_Altashina_126-145.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818776309781757952 |
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| author | Veronika D. Altashina |
| author_facet | Veronika D. Altashina |
| author_sort | Veronika D. Altashina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article represents the first academic study of two early Montesquieu’s works — “The Temple of Gnidos” (1725) and “Journey to Paphos” (1727). Under the guise of ancient heroes and gods these “novels with a key” portray real people easily recognizable by contemporaries — the author himself and his entourage. Mixing reality and fiction, Greek and Roman gods, using allegories, Montesquieu creates a “possible impossible world,” characteristic for the Baroque literature of the 17th century. The term was proposed by L. Dolezel, the founder of the theory of “possible worlds,” which allows a deeper understanding of how Montesquieu portrays an ideal world, opposed to the French reality, which he criticizes, as in his first novel “Persian Letters.” However, such features as fragmentation, frivolity, double meaning, hedonism are characteristic of the Rococo aesthetics that took shape in France at the beginning of the 18th century. These features are also inherent to such recognized author’s masterpieces as “Persian Letters” and “The Spirit of Laws” which prove out the unity of his artistic manner. Montesquieu’s early works clearly demonstrate the connection between the Baroque and the Rococo and represent the future author of the “Spirit of Laws” with a completely different side as a “singer of Graces” who contributed to the formation of a new aesthetics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T11:10:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2059f3968884e299b2a26ae661a7c5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2500-4247 2541-8564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T11:10:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studia Litterarum |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2059f3968884e299b2a26ae661a7c5e2022-12-21T21:10:00ZengA.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of SciencesStudia Litterarum2500-42472541-85642022-03-017112614510.22455/2500-4247-2022-7-1-126-145Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) Veronika D. Altashina0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8134-3929Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, RussiaThe article represents the first academic study of two early Montesquieu’s works — “The Temple of Gnidos” (1725) and “Journey to Paphos” (1727). Under the guise of ancient heroes and gods these “novels with a key” portray real people easily recognizable by contemporaries — the author himself and his entourage. Mixing reality and fiction, Greek and Roman gods, using allegories, Montesquieu creates a “possible impossible world,” characteristic for the Baroque literature of the 17th century. The term was proposed by L. Dolezel, the founder of the theory of “possible worlds,” which allows a deeper understanding of how Montesquieu portrays an ideal world, opposed to the French reality, which he criticizes, as in his first novel “Persian Letters.” However, such features as fragmentation, frivolity, double meaning, hedonism are characteristic of the Rococo aesthetics that took shape in France at the beginning of the 18th century. These features are also inherent to such recognized author’s masterpieces as “Persian Letters” and “The Spirit of Laws” which prove out the unity of his artistic manner. Montesquieu’s early works clearly demonstrate the connection between the Baroque and the Rococo and represent the future author of the “Spirit of Laws” with a completely different side as a “singer of Graces” who contributed to the formation of a new aesthetics.http://studlit.ru/images/2022-7-1/06_Altashina_126-145.pdfmontesquieuearly worksthe baroquethe rococothe art of distance. |
| spellingShingle | Veronika D. Altashina Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) Studia Litterarum montesquieu early works the baroque the rococo the art of distance. |
| title | Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) |
| title_full | Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) |
| title_fullStr | Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) |
| title_short | Singer of Graces: the Gallant Montesquieu (“The Temple Of Gnidos” and “Journey To Paphos”) |
| title_sort | singer of graces the gallant montesquieu the temple of gnidos and journey to paphos |
| topic | montesquieu early works the baroque the rococo the art of distance. |
| url | http://studlit.ru/images/2022-7-1/06_Altashina_126-145.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT veronikadaltashina singerofgracesthegallantmontesquieuthetempleofgnidosandjourneytopaphos |