Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire , 1821-67, French poet and critic. His poetry, classical in form, introduced symbolism (see symbolists ) by establishing symbolic correspondences among sensory images (e.g., colors, sounds, scents). The only volume of his poems published in his lifetime, Les Fleurs du mal (1857, enlarged 1861, 1868; several Eng. tr., The Flowers of Evil ), was publicly condemned as obscene, and six of the poems were suppressed. Later recognized as a masterpiece, the volume is especially remarkable for the brilliant phrasing, rhythm, and expressiveness of its lyrics. Baudelaire's erratic personality was marked by moodiness, rebelliousness, and an intense religious mysticism. His life was burdened with debts, misunderstanding, illness, and excesses, and his work unremittingly reflects inner despair. The main theme is the inseparable nature of beauty and corruption. A collection of poetic prose pieces was published posthumously as Petits poèmes en prose (1869). As poet and critic Baudelaire earned distinction in literary circles. Believing criticism to be a function of the poet, he wrote perceptive appraisals of his contemporaries. His criticism was collected posthumously in Curiosités esthétiques (1868) and L'Art romantique (1869). He felt a great affinity to Poe, whose works he translated and brought to the attention of the French public. One of the great figures of French literature, Baudelaire has also been a major influence in other Western poetry.

Bibliography: See his letters (tr. by S. Morini and F. Tuten, 1970), his intimate journal (tr. by C. Isherwood, 1947), and selected letters (tr. and ed. by L. B. and F. E. Hyslop, 1957); biography by E. Starkie (rev. ed. 1958), studies by J.-P. Sartre (1950, repr. 1972) and M. A. Ruff (1965).

Baudelaire, Charles (1821–67). French poet and critic. As well as being a major poet, Baudelaire was one of the liveliest art critics of his day, passionate and partisan in his views. He thought that there are no universal aesthetic standards, but a different type of beauty for different peoples and cultures. Moreover, the individuality of the artist is essential to the creation of beauty and if it is suppressed or regimented, art becomes banal: ‘the beautiful is always bizarre’ was a favourite maxim. His favourite contemporary artist was Delacroix, whom he extolled for his imagination, intelligence, and technical skills. However, he singled out the relatively minor artist Constantin Guys as the representative par excellence of contemporary society, and wrote a long appreciation of his work entitled ‘Le Peintre de la vie moderne’, published as a series of articles in Le Figaro in 1863. The other artists with whom Baudelaire was involved include Courbet (he is one of the people depicted in The Painter's Studio (1854–5, Mus. d'Orsay, Paris) ), Manet (he likewise appears in Music in the Tuileries Gardens (1863, NG, London)), and Rops, whose career he helped to launch. His writings later had great influence on the Symbolists.

Baudelaire, Charles (b Paris, 9 Apr. 1821; d Paris, 31 Aug. 1867). French poet and critic. As well as being a major poet, Baudelaire was one of the liveliest art critics of his day, passionate and partisan in his views. He thought that there are no universal aesthetic standards, but a different type of beauty for different peoples and cultures. He also believed that the individuality of the artist is essential to the creation of beauty, and if it is suppressed or regimented, art becomes banal: ‘the beautiful is always bizarre’ was a favourite maxim. His favourite contemporary artist was Delacroix, whom he extolled for his imagination, intelligence, and technical skills. However, he singled out the relatively minor Constantin Guys as the representative par excellence of contemporary society, and wrote a long appreciation of his work entitled ‘Le Peintre de la vie moderne’, published as a series of articles in Le Figaro in 1863. The other artists with whom Baudelaire was involved include Courbet (he is one of the people depicted in The Painter's Studio (1854–5, Mus. d'Orsay, Paris)), Manet (he likewise appears in Music in the Tuileries Gardens (1863, NG, London)), and Rops, whose career he helped to launch. His writings later had great influence on the Symbolists.