Jean Baptiste Gustave Planche
Encyclopedia
Jean Baptiste Gustave Planche (Paris, 16 February 1808 – Paris, 18 September 1857), was a French
art and literary critic
.
Already in his time as a medical student, Planche frequented artistic circles. This did nothing to promote the success of his studies. Around 1830, Planche was introduced by the famous writer Alfred de Vigny
to François Buloz
, director of the Revue des deux mondes
, and contributed to this journal until 1840. In that year, his father, a rich apothecary, died, and the next years, Planche dedicated himself to spending his inheritance in Italy. He resumed his connection with the journal in 1846, a collaboration which was only terminated by his death in 1857, at the age of 49.
Planche was an honest
critic and refused to accept a position from Napoleon III for fear of compromising his freedom. A fervent admirer of George Sand
and Alfred de Vigny, he was contemptuous of Victor Hugo
as a playwright. He characterized Hugo's earlier drama
s as ode
s (in allusion to Hugo's book of poetry 'Odes et Ballades'), those following the drama Le Roi s'amuse as antitheses
(because their characters were torn apart by conflicting tendencies), and the later ones as nothing but spectacle. His critical papers were collected under the titles: Portraits littéraires (1836-1849); Nouveaux portraits littéraires (1854); and his art criticism
s in Etudes sur l'école française (1855).
In his writings, Planche made an attempt to reconcile modern and classical art and literature by highlighting their common preoccupation in depicting human passions. Planche liked to formulate his opinions in a sharp and precise manner. His style is witty.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
art and literary critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
.
Already in his time as a medical student, Planche frequented artistic circles. This did nothing to promote the success of his studies. Around 1830, Planche was introduced by the famous writer Alfred de Vigny
Alfred de Vigny
Alfred Victor de Vigny was a French poet, playwright, and novelist.-Life:Alfred de Vigny was born in Loches into an aristocratic family...
to François Buloz
François Buloz
François Buloz was a French littérateur, magazine editor, and theater administrator.He was born in Vulbens, Haute-Savoie, near Geneva, and died in Paris....
, director of the Revue des deux mondes
Revue des deux mondes
The Revue des deux Mondes is a French language monthly literary and cultural affairs magazine that has been published in Paris since 1829....
, and contributed to this journal until 1840. In that year, his father, a rich apothecary, died, and the next years, Planche dedicated himself to spending his inheritance in Italy. He resumed his connection with the journal in 1846, a collaboration which was only terminated by his death in 1857, at the age of 49.
Planche was an honest
Honesty
Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft....
critic and refused to accept a position from Napoleon III for fear of compromising his freedom. A fervent admirer of George Sand
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, later Baroness Dudevant , best known by her pseudonym George Sand , was a French novelist and memoirist.-Life:...
and Alfred de Vigny, he was contemptuous of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
as a playwright. He characterized Hugo's earlier drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s as ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
s (in allusion to Hugo's book of poetry 'Odes et Ballades'), those following the drama Le Roi s'amuse as antitheses
Antithesis
Antithesis is a counter-proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition...
(because their characters were torn apart by conflicting tendencies), and the later ones as nothing but spectacle. His critical papers were collected under the titles: Portraits littéraires (1836-1849); Nouveaux portraits littéraires (1854); and his art criticism
Art criticism
Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art.Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty...
s in Etudes sur l'école française (1855).
In his writings, Planche made an attempt to reconcile modern and classical art and literature by highlighting their common preoccupation in depicting human passions. Planche liked to formulate his opinions in a sharp and precise manner. His style is witty.