A Life of Letters and Criticism
Théophile Gautier was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. Born in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département of southwestern France, he later moved to Paris. His education took place at Collège Louis-le-Grand and Collège Charlemagne. Throughout his career, he was a frequent contributor to various journals, most notably La Presse , and later served as the director of Revue de Paris and the editor of L’Artiste . He also worked for Le Moniteur universel .
Gautier was a well-travelled man, undertaking journeys to several locations, including:
Spain
Italy
Russia
Egypt
Algeria
Literary and Theatrical Contributions
As a writer, Gautier produced a diverse body of work. His poetic output included Poésies , Albertus , La Comédie de la Mort , España , and Émaux et Camées . His prose works spanned several genres, including the historical romance Mademoiselle de Maupin , the fantasy story Eldorado, ou Fortunio , the historical novel Le Roman de La Momie , and the adventure novel Captain Fracasse . He also authored several travel books regarding his journeys.
In the realm of theatre and dance, he was known for writing scenarios, including the famous ballet Giselle . His dramatic works included plays such as Une Larme du diable , Le Tricorne enchanté , La Fausse Conversion , and Pierrot Posthume . In the field of art criticism, he was elected chairman of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1862.
By the ArtsDot.com Editorial Team
Updated Oct. 13, 2026
