The Toilet of Venus by François Boucher (1703-1770)

Prior to turning to literature, Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) studied painting, which makes abundant sense since his writing is stunningly visual. For the purposes of my review, I will focus on one gem in this collection: Omphale: A Rococo Story. In order to fully appreciate the rich aesthetic texture of this Gautier tale, one should set one’s mood and mindset to the key of rococo. How to do this? Simple. Let your eyes drink in the beauty of the above magnificent portrait in the rococo style: The Toilet of Venus by François Boucher. In many ways this splendid painting can serve as the foundation for the spirit and essence of Gautier’s short story. All right, now you are ready for the story itself.

The narrator reflects back on a most memorable experience when he was a youth of seventeen: his visit to his uncle where he lodged in a separate structure built in 1700s rococo style, during the time of Louis XV, a building his uncle called Heart’s Delight, in honor, or perhaps dishonor, of naughty fleshy pleasures past. Indeed, his stern aristocratic uncle always judged reason to be king and had a ‘no nonsense’ view of life. We read, “If the old gentleman could have foreseen that my profession would be that of a writer of fantastic stories, I am quite sure he would have turned me out and disinherited me irrevocably, for he confessed the most aristocratic contempt for literature in general and authors in particular Like the true gentleman he was, he would have liked to have every one of the scribblers who makes it a business to spoil paper and to speak irreverently of people of quality, thrashed or hanged by his servants.”

So begins our rococo tale with a rococo building and rococo language used in the telling. For example, the narrator describes a portion of the interior room of this crumbling 1700s Louis XV-style building: “The bed hangings were of yellow silk damask with a pattern of great white flowers. A shell-work clock rested on a base inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory. A wreath of Burgundy roses wound coquettishly round a Venetian mirror and above the doors were painted in camaieu panels representing the four seasons.”

A truly rococo tale but a rococo tale told by the fiery 19th romantic, Théophile Gautier, who gives play to the fantastic - specifically in this tale, a truly fantastic event occurring in the space between dream and reality. One night, while dreaming (or, perhaps, barely awake), the 17 year old sees queen Omphale of the hanging tapestry come to life. The author writes, “The tapestry was violently agitated. Omphale left the wall, sprang lightly to the floor, came toward me, taking care to keep her face towards me. I fancy I need not enlarge on my amazement, the bravest veteran would have felt a bit queer under such conditions and I was neither old nor a soldier.”

Let’s pause to reflect on the power of portraiture in the long evolution of humankind. Going back to prehistoric cave paintings, the depiction of animal and human figures has always been infused with magical powers. And this power via artistic depiction continued throughout history, in nearly all societies and cultures, right up to the 1700s with such painters as François Boucher and Charles-André Van Loo (a rococo painter cited in this tale). 19th century authors appreciated the potency of art and incorporated its magic and power in their writing. Thus, this combination of portraiture and literature proved to be very, very powerful, indeed. Here are four examples of tales written in years following the publication of Gautier’s Omphale:

The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe – An artist paints his beautiful young wife’s portrait over the course of weeks. She sits patiently in the damp, posing as his model. He becomes so obsessed with instilling life-like perfection into his painting he is oblivious to his wife’s declining health. The moment he completes the portrait is the moment of his wife’s death.

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Classic tale of a handsome young man who sells his soul to the devil so his can ‘switch places’ with his portrait and have the painterly portrait age and fade while he retains youth and vitality.

The Portrait by Jean Richepin – A mediocre artist will sell his soul to the devil so he can paint one portrait that is a masterpiece. The deal is struck. Once his masterpiece is completed and sold, a portrait of a saint so illuminating and stunning the nuns who own the painting will only put the portrait on display during special holy days, the artist is found dead in his studio.

The Vengeance of the Oval Portrait by Gabriel de Lautrec – A nobleman falls in love with the portrait of a beautiful young woman. He attempts to bring the portrait to life via occult formulas and magic spells. All his efforts fail. Outraged and frustrated, he climbs a ladder, knife in hand, with the intent of hacking the portrait to pieces. At the point when he raises his knife, the portrait comes to life and strangles him in revenge for his killing her lover in years past. After this act of vengeance, the young lady reverts to her painterly state.

Ah, that combination of portraiture and tale-telling, so powerful, so magical. And no tale more magical than Théophile Gautier’s Omphale. ( )

The Toilet of Venus by François Boucher (1703-1770)

Prior to turning to literature, Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) studied painting, which makes abundant sense since his writing is stunningly visual. For the purposes of my review, I will focus on one gem in this collection: Omphale: A Rococo Story. In order to fully appreciate the rich aesthetic texture of this Gautier tale, one should set one’s mood and mindset to the key of rococo. How to do this? Simple. Let your eyes drink in the beauty of the above magnificent portrait in the rococo style: The Toilet of Venus by François Boucher. In many ways this splendid painting can serve as the foundation for the spirit and essence of Gautier’s short story. All right, now you are ready for the story itself.

The narrator reflects back on a most memorable experience when he was a youth of seventeen: his visit to his uncle where he lodged in a separate structure built in 1700s rococo style, during the time of Louis XV, a building his uncle called Heart’s Delight, in honor, or perhaps dishonor, of naughty fleshy pleasures past. Indeed, his stern aristocratic uncle always judged reason to be king and had a ‘no nonsense’ view of life. We read, “If the old gentleman could have foreseen that my profession would be that of a writer of fantastic stories, I am quite sure he would have turned me out and disinherited me irrevocably, for he confessed the most aristocratic contempt for literature in general and authors in particular Like the true gentleman he was, he would have liked to have every one of the scribblers who makes it a business to spoil paper and to speak irreverently of people of quality, thrashed or hanged by his servants.”

So begins our rococo tale with a rococo building and rococo language used in the telling. For example, the narrator describes a portion of the interior room of this crumbling 1700s Louis XV-style building: “The bed hangings were of yellow silk damask with a pattern of great white flowers. A shell-work clock rested on a base inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory. A wreath of Burgundy roses wound coquettishly round a Venetian mirror and above the doors were painted in camaieu panels representing the four seasons.”

A truly rococo tale but a rococo tale told by the fiery 19th romantic, Théophile Gautier, who gives play to the fantastic - specifically in this tale, a truly fantastic event occurring in the space between dream and reality. One night, while dreaming (or, perhaps, barely awake), the 17 year old sees queen Omphale of the hanging tapestry come to life. The author writes, “The tapestry was violently agitated. Omphale left the wall, sprang lightly to the floor, came toward me, taking care to keep her face towards me. I fancy I need not enlarge on my amazement, the bravest veteran would have felt a bit queer under such conditions and I was neither old nor a soldier.”

Let’s pause to reflect on the power of portraiture in the long evolution of humankind. Going back to prehistoric cave paintings, the depiction of animal and human figures has always been infused with magical powers. And this power via artistic depiction continued throughout history, in nearly all societies and cultures, right up to the 1700s with such painters as François Boucher and Charles-André Van Loo (a rococo painter cited in this tale). 19th century authors appreciated the potency of art and incorporated its magic and power in their writing. Thus, this combination of portraiture and literature proved to be very, very powerful, indeed. Here are four examples of tales written in years following the publication of Gautier’s Omphale:

The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe – An artist paints his beautiful young wife’s portrait over the course of weeks. She sits patiently in the damp, posing as his model. He becomes so obsessed with instilling life-like perfection into his painting he is oblivious to his wife’s declining health. The moment he completes the portrait is the moment of his wife’s death.

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Classic tale of a handsome young man who sells his soul to the devil so his can ‘switch places’ with his portrait and have the painterly portrait age and fade while he retains youth and vitality.

The Portrait by Jean Richepin – A mediocre artist will sell his soul to the devil so he can paint one portrait that is a masterpiece. The deal is struck. Once his masterpiece is completed and sold, a portrait of a saint so illuminating and stunning the nuns who own the painting will only put the portrait on display during special holy days, the artist is found dead in his studio.

The Vengeance of the Oval Portrait by Gabriel de Lautrec – A nobleman falls in love with the portrait of a beautiful young woman. He attempts to bring the portrait to life via occult formulas and magic spells. All his efforts fail. Outraged and frustrated, he climbs a ladder, knife in hand, with the intent of hacking the portrait to pieces. At the point when he raises his knife, the portrait comes to life and strangles him in revenge for his killing her lover in years past. After this act of vengeance, the young lady reverts to her painterly state.

Ah, that combination of portraiture and tale-telling, so powerful, so magical. And no tale more magical than Théophile Gautier’s Omphale. ( )