Théophile Gautier, born August 30, 1811 in Tarbes and died October 23, 1872 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (at the age of 61), is a French poet, painter, writer and art critic.
He is notably the author of the collection of poems Enamels and cameos (1852), and of the novels Le Roman de la momie (1858) and Le Capitaine Fracasse (1863), his most famous work.
He is the contemporary of the writers Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac (whose biography he wrote in 1859), Gustave Flaubert and Prosper Mérimée.
His formula of art for art was taken up by the poets of contemporary Parnassus.
Biography
Théophile Gautier’s family was well-off and well-educated.
In 1822, he left for Paris to begin his studies. In 1829, he met Victor Hugo, who liked him and respected him a lot.
In 1830 Gautier took an interest in painting and poetry and published his Poésies during the same year. In February 1830, with Gérard de Nerval, he was one of the main actors in the battle of Hernani which, by defending the dramatic play by Victor Hugo, caused a theatrical scandal. But in 1830 during the July Revolution, he was forced to earn a living after his father’s bankruptcy.
In 1836, Théophile Gautier became a journalist for the review “La Presse”. He writes over 1,200 articles and works tirelessly, like a convict.