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Louis Marie-Anne Couperus (10 June 1863 – 16 July 1923) was a Dutch novelist and poet. His oeuvre contains a wide variety of genres:
lyric poetry Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person. It is not equivalent to song lyrics, though song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, and it is also ''not'' equi ...
, psychological and
historical novels Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ...
, novellas,
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
, fairy tales,
feuilletons A ''feuilleton'' (; a diminutive of french: feuillet, the leaf of a book) was originally a kind of supplement attached to the political portion of French newspapers, consisting chiefly of non-political news and gossip, literature and art criti ...
and sketches. Couperus is considered to be one of the foremost figures in
Dutch literature Dutch language literature () comprises all writings of literary merit written through the ages in the Dutch language, a language which currently has around 23 million native speakers. Dutch-language literature is the product of the Netherlands, Be ...
. In 1923, he was awarded the ''
Tollensprijs The Tollens-Fonds ("Tollens foundation)" is a Dutch organization named for poet Hendrik Tollens (1780–1856). The organization awards a notable literary prize, the Tollens Prize and till 2008 also the Jacobson Prize. Tollens Prize The Tollens Pr ...
'' (Tollens Prize). Couperus and his wife travelled extensively in Europe and Asia, and he later wrote several related travelogues which were published weekly.


Youth

Louis Marie-Anne Couperus was born on 10 June 1863 at Mauritskade 11 in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
, Netherlands, into a long-established, ''
Indo Indo may refer to: * Indo-, a prefix indicating India or the Indian Subcontinent * Indonesia, a country in Asia ** INDO LINES, callsign of Indonesian Airlines ** Indo people, people of mixed European and Indonesian ancestry ** Indo cuisine, fusion ...
'' family of the colonial landed gentry of the Dutch East Indies. He was the eleventh and youngest child of John Ricus Couperus (1816–1902), a prominent colonial administrator, lawyer and '' landheer'' or lord of the private domain ('' particuliere land'') of Tjikopo in
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
, and Catharina Geertruida Reynst (1829–1893). Through his father, he was a great-grandson of Abraham Couperus (1752-1813), Governor of Malacca, and Willem Jacob Cranssen (1762-1821), Governor of
Ambon Ambon may refer to: Places * Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia ** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province ** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796 * Ambon, Morbihan, a c ...
with a female-line,
Eurasian Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Ja ...
lineage that goes back even earlier to the mid-eighteenth century. Four of the ten siblings had died before Louis was born. Couperus was baptized on 19 July 1863 in the '' Eglise wallonne'' in The Hague. When Louis reached the age of five, his youngest sister, Trudy, was twelve years old and his youngest brother, Frans, eleven. In The Hague he followed lessons at the boarding school of Mr. Wyers, where he first met his later friend Henri van Booven. On 6 November 1872 the Couperus family left home, travelled by train to Den Helder and embarked on the steamboat ''Prins Hendrik'', which would bring them back to the Dutch East Indies. They arrived on 31 December 1872 in
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
, where they spent the night at the then famous Hotel des Indes. The family settled in a house in Batavia, located on the Koningsplein and the mother of Couperus and his brother Frans (who was suffering from
peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One part o ...
) returned to the Netherlands in December 1873; his mother returned to the Dutch East Indies in April 1874. So Couperus spent part of his youth (1873–1878) in the Dutch East Indies, J.A. Dautzenberg, ''Nederlandse Literatuur'', 1989. going to school in Batavia. Here he met his cousin,
Elisabeth Couperus-Baud Elisabeth Wilhelmina Johanna (Betty) Couperus-Baud (Batavia, 30 October 1867 – The Hague, 18 March 1960), was a Dutch translator. She was the wife of the Dutch writer Louis Couperus (1863–1923). Biography Couperus-Baud was the daughter of ...
, for the first time. In his novel ''De zwaluwen neergestreken'' (The swallows flew down), he wrote about his youth: : "We are cousins and have played together. We danced together at children's balls. We still have our baby pictures. She was dressed in a marquise dress and I was dressed as a page. My garment was made of black velvet and I was very proud of my first travesti." In the Dutch East Indies, Couperus also met his future brother-in-law for the first time, Gerard de la Valette (a writer and official at the Dutch Indian Government who would marry his sister Trudy), who wrote in 1913 about his relationship with Couperus: : We met first at Batavia, when he was a boy of ten years and I was a young man. We saw each other at rather large intervals. Yet I saw him often enough, as a boy and a young man, that we developed a good and familiar relationship.'' After he finished primary school, Couperus attended the Gymnasium Willem III in Batavia. In the summer of 1878 Couperus and his family returned to the Netherlands, where they went to live in a house at the Nassaukade (plein) 4. In The Hague Couperus was sent to the H.B.S. school; during this period of his life, he spent a lot of time at the Vlielander-Hein family (his sister was married to Benjamin Marius Vlielander Hein); later their son, François Emile Vlielander Hein (1882–1919), was his favourite nephew, who helped him with his literary work. At the HBS Couperus met his later friend Frans Netscher; during this period of his life, he read the novels written by
Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...
and
Ouida Ouida (; 1 January 1839 – 25 January 1908) was the pseudonym of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée). During her career, Ouida wrote more than 40 novels, as well as s ...
(the latter he would meet in Florence, years later). When Couperus' school results did not improve, his father send him to a school where he was trained to be a teacher in the Dutch language. In 1883 he attended the opera written by
Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
''
Le tribut de Zamora is a grand opera in four acts by Charles Gounod, his last work for the stage. The libretto by Adolphe d'Ennery was offered to Gounod after negotiations with Giuseppe Verdi stalled. The premiere at the Paris Opera's Palais Garnier on 1 April 1881 ...
''; he later used elements of this opera in his novel ''
Eline Vere ''Eline Vere'' is an 1889 novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus. It was adapted into the 1991 film '' Eline Vere'', directed by Harry Kümel. Couperus wrote ''Eline Vere'' in the house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague. Reception The naturalis ...
''.


Start of Couperus' career as a writer

In 1885 plans were made to compose an operetta for children. Virginie la Chapelle wrote the music, and Couperus provided the lyrics for ' ("Sleeping beauty in the forest"). The opera was staged by a hundred children at the Koninklijke Schouwburg (Royal Theatre) in The Hague. In January 1885 Couperus had already written one of his early poems, called ''Kleopatra''. Other writings from this period include the sonnet ''Een portret'' ("A Portrait") and ''Uw glimlach of uw bloemen'' ("Your smile or your flowers"). In 1882, Couperus started reading
Petrarch Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited ...
and had the intention to write a novel about him, which was never realized, although he did publish the novella ' ("In the house near the church"), loosely inspired by
Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...
. When Couperus just had finished his novella ''Een middag bij Vespaziano'' ("An Afternoon at Vespaziano"), he visited
Johannes Bosboom Johannes Bosboom (18 February 1817 – 14 September 1891) was a Dutch painter and watercolorist of the Hague School, known especially for his paintings of church interiors. Biography He was born in The Hague. At the age of 14 he became a studen ...
and his wife Anna Louisa Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint, whose works Couperus greatly admired. Couperus let Mrs. Bosboom-Toussaint read his novella, which she found very good. In 1883 Couperus started writing ''Laura''; this novella was published in parts in ''De Gids'' (a Dutch literary magazine) in 1883 and 1884. In 1885 Couperus' debut in book form, ' (" A ribbon of poems") was published (by publisher J.L. Beijers with a book cover designed by painter Ludwig Willem Reymert Wenckebach). In these days a person Couperus greatly admired for his sense of beauty and intelligence was writer Carel Vosmaer, whom he frequently met while walking in the center of The Hague. In 1883 Couperus saw Sarah Bernhardt performing in The Hague, but was more impressed by her dresses than her performance itself. The next year, John Ricus Couperus, father of Louis Couperus, sold his family estate "Tjicoppo", located in the Dutch East Indies and gave order to build a house at the Surinamestraat 20, The Hague. Here Couperus continued writing poetry and his study of
Dutch literature Dutch language literature () comprises all writings of literary merit written through the ages in the Dutch language, a language which currently has around 23 million native speakers. Dutch-language literature is the product of the Netherlands, Be ...
. In June 1885 he was appointed member of the very prestigious Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde (Society of Dutch Literature), two years after he published ' ("Orchids. A Bundle of Poetry and Prose"), which had received mixed reviews. Journalist Willem Gerard van Nouhuys wrote that ''Orchideeën'' lacked quality, Jacob Nicolaas van Hall was positive, and
Willem Kloos Willem Johannes Theodorus Kloos (; 6 May 1859 – 31 March 1938) was a nineteenth-century Dutch poet and literary critic. He was one of the prominent figures of the Movement of Eighty and became editor in chief of ''De Nieuwe Gids'' after the ed ...
called it "literary crap". Couperus passed his exam on 6 December 1886 and received his certificate, which allowed him to teach at secondary schools. However, he did not aspire to a teaching career and decided to continue writing literature instead. At the end of 1887 he started to write what was to become his most-famous novel, ''Eline Vere''.


Eline Vere, the beginning of success

Shortly before Couperus wrote ', he had read ''
War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
'' and ''
Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writt ...
'', written by
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
. The structure of Couperus' book ''Eline Vere'' was similar to that of ''Anna Karenina'' (division into short chapters). He had also just read '' Ghosts'', a play written by Henrik Ibsen; reference to the leading character of ''Ghosts'' is made when Eline Vere is delirious with fever and cries: "Oh god, the ghosts, approaching grinning" – also the suicide by the main characters in ''Eline Vere'' and in ''Ghosts'' by taking an overdose of
morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...
is the same. Between 17 June until 4 December 1888, the novel ''Eline Vere'' was published in the Dutch newspaper ''Het Vaderland''; a reviewer in the ''
Algemeen Handelsblad ''NRC'', previously called ''NRC Handelsblad'' (), is a daily morning newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. It is generally accepted as a newspaper of record in the Netherlands. History ''NRC Handelsblad'' was first published on 1 ...
'' wrote: "The writer has talent". Meanwhile, Couperus wrote a novella called ''Een ster'' ("A Star"), which was published in "Nederland" and made a journey to Sweden. In this period of his life, Couperus was an active member of the drama club of writer Marcel Emants ("Utile et Laetum" meaning 'useful and happy'), and here he met a new friend, Johan Hendrik Ram, a captain of the grenadiers, who would later commit suicide (December 1913). In April 1890 the ''Nieuwe Gids'' (New Guide) published a review of ''Eline Vere'', written by
Lodewijk van Deyssel Lodewijk van Deyssel was the pseudonym of Karel Joan Lodewijk Alberdingk Thijm (22 September 1864, Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague ...
, in which he wrote "the novel of Mr. Couperus is a good and a literary work". Couperus also met a new friend, writer Maurits Wagenvoort, who invited Couperus and painter
George Hendrik Breitner George Hendrik Breitner (12 September 1857 – 5 June 1923) was a Dutch painter and photographer. An important figure in Amsterdam Impressionism, he is noted especially for his paintings of street scenes and harbours in a realistic style. He pa ...
to his home. A second edition of ''Eline Vere'' was published within a year. Couperus finished his next novel, ''Noodlot'' ("Fate") in May 1890; this novel was then published in ''De Gids''. It is possible that the leading character of ''Noodlot'', Frank, was inspired by the character of Couperus' friend, Johan Hendrik Ram, a strong and healthy military person. Couperus now started reading
Paul Bourget Paul Charles Joseph Bourget (; 2 September 185225 December 1935) was a French poet, novelist and critic. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Life Paul Bourget was born in Amiens in the Somme ''département'' of Picar ...
's novel ''Un coeur de femme'', which inspired him during the writing of his novella ''Extaze'' ("Ecstasy"). In July 1890 he completed ''Eene illuzie'' ("An Illusion") and on 12 August 1890 received the prestigious D.A. Thiemeprijs (D.A. Thieme prize, named after the noted publisher). In October that same year, he travelled to Paris, where he received a letter from his publisher-to-be, L.J. Veen, asking permission to publish ''Noodlot'', which offer Couperus rejected because this book was supposed to be published by
Elsevier Elsevier () is a Dutch academic publishing company specializing in scientific, technical, and medical content. Its products include journals such as '' The Lancet'', ''Cell'', the ScienceDirect collection of electronic journals, '' Trends'', ...
. When his uncle Guillaume Louis Baud died, Couperus went back to The Hague to attend the funeral. Here Couperus decided to marry his cousin Elisabeth Couperus-Baud. The marriage took place on 9 September 1891 in The Hague.


More successes as a writer

On 21 September 1891, Couperus and his wife settled in a small villa at the Roeltjesweg (now Couperusweg) in Hilversum; after Couperus finished his new book ''Extaze'' in October 1891 he wrote ''Uitzichten'' ("Views") and started with his new romantic and spiritual novella ''Epiloog'' ("Epilogue"). ''Extaze'' was published in 1892 in ''The Gids'', and Couperus asked publisher L.J. Veen to publish it as a novel, but refused the offer Veen made him. In 1891 an English translation of ''Noodlot'', ''Footsteps of Fate'' (translation made by
Clara Bell Clara Bell, née Poynter (1835–1927), was an English translator fluent in French, German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian, Russian, and Spanish,''The Illustrated American'': 22 November 1890, p.500''The Author: A Monthly Magazine for Literary ...
) and in 1892 an English translation of ''Eline Vere'' were released. Meanwhile, L.J. Veen made Couperus a better offer, which he accepted, and Couperus received from Oscar Wilde his novel ''
The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...
''; Wilde had read the translation of Couperus' ''Footsteps of Fate''. and wrote to Couperus to compliment him with his book. Elisabeth Couperus-Baud translated Wilde's novel into Dutch: ''Het portret van Dorian Gray''. Dutch critics wrote divergent reviews about ''Extaze'': writer and journalist
Henri Borel Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the 'List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Montm ...
said that, ''the book was something like a young boy messing with an egg'', while Lodewijk van Deyssel found it great.
Frederik van Eeden Frederik Willem van Eeden (3 April 1860, Haarlem – 16 June 1932, Bussum) was a late 19th-century and early 20th-century Dutch writer and psychiatrist. He was a leading member of the Tachtigers and the Significs Group, and had top billing a ...
wrote that he had a specific aversion against the book. Couperus and his wife moved to The Hague, where Couperus wrote ''Majesteit'' ("Majesty"), after he had read an article in ''
The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication i ...
'' about
Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...
. Gerrit Jäger, a play writer, wrote a theatre performance of ''Noodlot''; it was performed in 1892 by the Rotterdam theatre company, and the then-famous Dutch actor , who was an acquaintance of Couperus, played one of the leading characters. On 1 February 1893 Couperus and his wife left for
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, but they had to return because of the death of Couperus' mother. He wrote about how she rested on her deathbed in his novel ''Metamorfoze'' ("Metamorphosis"). During this time Elisabeth Couperus-Baud was translating George Moore's novel '' Vain Fortune'', while ''Majesteit'' was published in ''The Gids''. In 1894 Couperus joined the editorial board of ''De Gids''; other members were Geertrudus Cornelis Willem Byvanck (a writer), Jacob Nicolaas van Hall (writer and politician), Anton Gerard van Hamel (professor in the French language),
Ambrosius Hubrecht Ambrosius Arnold Willem Hubrecht (2 March 1853, in Rotterdam – 21 March 1915, in Utrecht) was a Dutch zoologist. Hubrecht studied zoology at Utrecht University with Harting and Donders, for periods joining Selenka in Leiden and later Erlange ...
and
Pieter Cort van der Linden Pieter Wilhelm Adrianus Cort van der Linden (14 May 1846 – 15 July 1935) was a Dutch politician who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 29 August 1913 to 9 September 1918. Biography He was the last prime minister to lead a libe ...
. In September 1893 Couperus and his wife left for Italy for the second time. In Florence they stayed in a pension close to the
Santa Maria Novella Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated opposite, and lending its name to, the city's main railway station. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church. The ch ...
; here Couperus wrote in November 1893 a sketch, ''Annonciatie'', a literary description of the painting of the same name by
Simone Martini Simone Martini ( – 1344) was an Italian painter born in Siena. He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style. It is thought that Martini was a pupil ...
and
Lippo Memmi Lippo Memmi (c. 1291 – 1356) was an Italian painter from Siena. He was the foremost follower of Simone Martini, who was his brother-in-law. Together with Martini, in 1333 he painted what is regarded as one of the masterworks of the Intern ...
in the
Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...
gallery. In December Couperus and his wife visited Rome, where Couperus wrote ''San Pietro'' (his impression of
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
), ''
Pincio The Pincian Hill (; it, Pincio ; la, Mons Pincius) is a hill in the northeast quadrant of the historical centre of Rome. The hill lies to the north of the Quirinal Hill, Quirinal, overlooking the Campus Martius. It was outside the original bo ...
'', Michelangelo's ''cupola'', ''
Via Appia The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, ...
'' and ''Brief uit Rome'' ("Letter from Rome"). In these works, Couperus gave references to the works he had read about Rome: ''Ariadne'' by Ouida, ''Rienzi'' by Bulwer, ''
Transformation Transformation may refer to: Science and mathematics In biology and medicine * Metamorphosis, the biological process of changing physical form after birth or hatching * Malignant transformation, the process of cells becoming cancerous * Tran ...
'' by Hawthorne, ''Voyage en Italie'' by Taine and ''Cosmopolotis'' by Bourget. In February 1894 Couperus travelled to
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, and then returned to Florence, where he visited Ouida. Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands, where Elisabeth Couperus-Baud made a translation of George Moore's ''Vain Fortune''; they went to live in the house at the Jacob van der Doesstraat 123. During this time Gerrit Jäger committed suicide by drowning. Couperus now started working on what was to become ''Wereldvrede'' ("World Peace") and wrote a translation of
Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...
's '' La Tentation de Saint Antoine''.


Consolidation phase

In 1894 an English translation was made by
Alexander Teixeira de Mattos Alexander Louis Teixeira de Mattos (April 9, 1865 – December 5, 1921), known as Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, was a Dutch-English journalist, literary critic and publisher, who gained his greatest fame as a translator. Early life The Teix ...
of ''Majesteit''; reviewers were not satisfied, and in the Netherlands Couperus new novel ''Wereldvrede'' was seen by critics as a flat novel, intended for women. Apart from that Lodewijk van Deyssel wrote a review in which he asked Couperus to get lost ("De heer Couperus kan van mij ophoepelen"), and Couperus himself ended his editorship at ''De Gids'' (April 1895). In October 1895 Couperus and his wife travelled to Italy again, where they visited
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
; they stayed at a hotel near the
Piazza San Marco Piazza San Marco (; vec, Piasa San Marco), often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as ''la Piazza'' ("the Square"). All other urban spaces in the city (exc ...
, and Couperus studied the works of
Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed wit ...
,
Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...
and Veronese. The next city they visited was Rome, where Couperus would receive a number of bad reviews of his book ''Wereldvrede''. In Rome he met Dutch sculptor
Pier Pander Jacobs Pier Pander (20 June 1864 – 6 September 1919) was a Dutch sculptor and designer of medals. Pander was born in Drachten in the Dutch northern province of Friesland. He was the son of a poor boatman. At a young age, his talent for woodca ...
and Dutch painter
Pieter de Josselin de Jong Pieter de Josselin de Jong (2 August 1861 – 2 June 1906) was a Dutch painter from North Brabant. Life Josselin de Jong was born in Sint-Oedenrode and was trained at the art academy in Den Bosch before attending the Royal Academy of Arts in Ant ...
. In March 1896 Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands. In 1896 ''Hoge troeven'' ("High Trumps") was published with a book cover designed by
Hendrik Petrus Berlage Hendrik Petrus Berlage (21 February 1856 – 12 August 1934) was a Dutch architect. He is considered one of the fathers of the architecture of the Amsterdam School. Life and work Hendrik Petrus Berlage, son of Nicolaas Willem Berlage and An ...
, and in April 1896 Couperus started writing ''Metamorfoze'' ("Metamorphosis"). In September Couperus visited Johan Hendrik Ram in
Zeist Zeist () is the capital and largest town of the municipality of Zeist. The town is located in the Utrecht province of the Netherlands, east of the city of Utrecht. History The town of "Seist" was first mentioned in a charter in the year 8 ...
, where Ram stayed with his father. Couperus spoke with Ram about ''Metamorfoze''. That same year Couperus spend some time in Paris. In 1897 Couperus finished writing ''Metamorfoze'', which was to be published in ''De Gids''. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Couperus-Baud translated
Olive Schreiner Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel ''The Story of an African Farm'' (1883), which has been highly acclaimed. It deal ...
's ''Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland''. That same year Couperus and his wife left for
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
but also spend some time in
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
. In August 1897 Couperus started with his new book ''Psyche'' and was appointed officer in the
Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
. In January 1898, ''De Gids'' started publishing chapters of ''Psyche''. In February 1898 Couperus travelled to Berlin, where he visited Else Otten, the German translator of his books and who would also translate ''Psyche'' into German. With Elisabeth Couperus-Baud he left the Netherlands in May 1898 for a short trip to London, where they met friends and visited
Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...
; Alexander Teixeira de Mattos introduced Couperus and his wife during a
high tea Tea (in reference to food, rather than the drink) has long been used as an umbrella term for several different meals. English writer Isabella Beeton, whose books on home economics were widely read in the 19th century, describes meals of var ...
to English journalists and literary people. Couperus also met
Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhoo ...
, who had written a foreword to ''Footsteps of Fate'' in 1891, and English painter
Lawrence Alma-Tadema Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, (; born Lourens Alma Tadema ; 8 January 1836 – 25 June 1912) was a Dutch painter who later settled in the United Kingdom becoming the last officially recognised denizen in 1873. Born in Dronryp, the Netherlands, ...
, who was a brother-in-law of Gosse. Via
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands, where he finished ''Fidessa'' in December 1898. Couperus and his wife then left for the Netherlands Dutch Indies and arrived at the end of March 1899 in
Tanjung Priok Tanjung Priok is a district of North Jakarta, Indonesia. It hosts the western part of the city's main harbor, the Port of Tanjung Priok (located in Tanjung Priok District and Koja District). The district of Tanjung Priok is bounded by Laksaman ...
. In June they visited Couperus sister Trudy and her husband Gerard Valette, who was working as a
resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceuti ...
at
Tegal Tegal is a city in the northwest part of Central Java of Indonesia. It is situated on the north coast (or ''pesisir'') of Central Java, about from Semarang, the capital of the province. It had a population of 239,599 at the 2010 Census and 276 ...
. Here Couperus started to write his new novel, ''Langs lijnen der geleidelijkheid'' ('' Inevitable''). When Gerard Valette and his wife had to move to
Pasuruan Pasuruan ( nl, Pasoeroean) is a city in East Java, Java, Indonesia. It had a population of 186,262 at the 2010 Census and 208,006 at the 2020 Census. It is surrounded by, but administratively separate from, Pasuruan Regency. It is located around ...
because of Valette's work, Couperus and his wife spend some time in Gabroe (
Blitar Blitar is a landlocked city in East Java, Indonesia, about 73 km from Malang and 167 km from Surabaya. The area lies within longitude 111° 40' – 112° 09' East and its latitude is 8° 06' South. The city of Blitar lies at an altitude ...
), where Couperus observed a spirit; this experience he would later use in his novel ''The Hidden Force'' (1900).


After the ''Hidden Force''

Many of the details about the life and works of a resident in the Dutch East Indies Couperus derived from his brother-in-law De la Valette. He characterized ''The Hidden Force'' as: ''The Hidden Force gives back especially the enmity of the mysterious Javanese soul and atmosphere, fighting against the Dutch conqueror.'' Meanwhile, Couperus received a letter from his friend Johan Hendrik Ram, in which Ram wrote that he and lieutenant
Lodewijk Thomson Lodewijk Willem Johan Karel Thomson (11 June 1869 – 15 June 1914) was a Dutch military commander and politician. He served as a member of the Dutch parliament between 1905 and 1913. In 1914, he became the commander of a newly created Int ...
were about to travel to South Africa to follow the course of the
Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
s as military diplomats. In March 1900 Couperus and his wife travelled back to the Netherlands, where in ''De Gids'' the text of ''Inevitable'' was published. In October 1900 Couperus and his wife moved to
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
, where Couperus read Henryk Sienkiewicz' ''
With Fire and Sword ''With Fire and Sword'' ( pl, Ogniem i mieczem, links=no) is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as The Trilogy, followed by '' The Deluge'' (''Potop'' ...
'', ''
The Deluge The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...
'' and '' Quo Vadis'', while his own ''The Hidden Force'' was published in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Couperus started to work on his new novels ''Babel'' and ''De boeken der kleine zielen'' ("The Book of Small Souls"). In 1902 he was asked to become a member of the editorial board of a new magazine called "''Groot Nederland"'', together with W.G. van Nouhuys and
Cyriel Buysse Cyriel may refer to: *Cyriel Barbary (1899–2004), the last known Belgian veteran of the First World War * Cyriel Buysse (1859–1932), Flemish naturalist author and playwright * Cyriel Coupe (1918–1998) (pseudonym Anton van Wilderode), Belgian ...
. In October 1902 Couperus' father died at the age of 86. His house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague was eventually sold to
Conrad Theodor van Deventer Conrad Theodor "Coen" van Deventer (29 September 1857, in Dordrecht – 27 September 1915, in The Hague) was a Dutch lawyer, an author about the Dutch East Indies and a member of parliament of the Netherlands. He became known as the spokesman o ...
. Couperus and his wife kept living in Nice, but Couperus went in January 1903 to Rome, where he met Pier Pander again and also received a letter from his publisher L.J. Veen, in which he complained that Couperus' books did not sell. In May 1903 Couperus published ''Dionyzos-studiën'' ("Studies of
Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Roma ...
") in ''Groot Nederland'', in which Couperus paid tribute to
classical antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
(a doctrine without original sin) and especially to the god Dionysus. Couperus left that year (1903) again for Italy (Venice) and went to Nice in September. During the winter of 1903–1904, he read Jean Lombard's work about Roman emperor
Elagabalus Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...
; in 1903 Georges Duviquet published his ''Héliogabale'', which was just what Couperus needed for his idea to write a novel about a crazy emperor (''De berg van licht'', "The Mountain of Light"). Meanwhile, to pay his bills, he wrote ''Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan'' ("Of old people, the things that pass"). In 1905 he published ''De berg van licht'', which was rather controversial as it dealt with the subject of homosexuality. In 1906 Couperus and his wife left for
Bagni di Lucca Bagni di Lucca (formerly Bagno a Corsena) is a comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Province of Lucca with a population of about 6,100. The comune has 27 named frazioni (wards). History Bagni di Lucca has been known for its thermal springs since th ...
(Italy), where they stayed at Hotel Continental and were introduced to Eleonora Duse. In May 1907 ''Aan den weg der vreugde'', a novella Couperus wrote while staying at Bagni di Lucca, was published in ''Groot Nederland''; he received another letter from L.J. Veen, saying that Couperus' books did not sell well, and so Couperus wrote a farewell letter to Veen in which he told Veen this was the end of their business relationship. During the summer of 1907 Couperus wrote in
Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...
the story ''Uit de jeugd van San Francesco van Assisi("From the youth of St. Francis of Assisi") to be published in ''Groot Nederland''. From this period on Couperus claimed that the days of novels were counted and that short stories (called short novels by Couperus) were the novels of the future. Couperus would write a series of short stories, which he published the then coming years in magazines such as "De Locomotief", " De Telegraaf" and the "Kroniek".


Endless travelling

During the winter of 1908 Couperus resided in Florence, where he translated
John Argyropoulos John Argyropoulos (/ˈd͡ʒɑn ˌɑɹd͡ʒɪˈɹɑ.pə.ləs/ el, Ἰωάννης Ἀργυρόπουλος ''Ioannis Argyropoulos''; it, Giovanni Argiropulo; surname also spelt ''Argyropulus'', or ''Argyropulos'', or ''Argyropulo''; c. 1415 – 2 ...
' ''Aristodemus''; he published his translation in ''Groot Nederland''. In August 1908 Couperus and his wife started a pension lodge in Nice and placed an advert in the '' New York Herald'' to attract future guests. As of 27 November 1909 Couperus started publishing weekly serials in the Dutch newspaper ''Het Vaderland''; he also published ''Korte arabesken'' ("Short Arabesques", 1911, with publisher Maatschappij voor goede en goedkoope lectuur) and a cheap edition of ''De zwaluwen neêr gestreken...'' ("The Swallows Flew Down", with publisher Van Holkema & Warendof). In December 1910 Couperus wrote in his sketch ''Melancholieën'' ("Melancholia") about the death of his father, mother, sister and brother: : "They are the ghosts of Death ... These are the shades of my grey father, my adored mother, they are the ghosts of my sister, brother and friend. And between their shadows are the pale ghosts of the Commemorations ... Because the room is full of ghosts and ghosts. My silent, staring eyes are full of tears and I feel old and tired and afraid." In the second part of 1910, Couperus started to write a novel again, despite the fact he earlier had said he never would write one again. This novel was to be called ''Antiek toerisme, een roman uit Oud-Egypte'' ("Tourism in Antiquity, a Novel from Ancient Egypt") and was published in ''Groot Nederland''. The book would be rewarded with the "''Nieuwe Gids'' prize for prose" in 1914. At the end of 1910, Couperus and his wife gave up their pension in Nice and travelled to Rome. In Rome Couperus collected and rearranged some of his serials, which he intended to publish in a book, ''
Schimmen van schoonheid ''Schimmen van schoonheid'' (English "''Shades of beauty''") is a collection of short stories, written by Louis Couperus and published by Van Holkema & Warendorf in 1912. It is not known how many copies were printed for the first edition, but this ...
'' ("Shadows of Beauty"). Since Couperus and publisher L.J. Veen were unable to agree on the payment of Couperus, Couperus then published ''Schimmen van schoonheid'' and ''Antiek Toerisme'' with publisher Van Holkema en Warendorf. In Rome Couperus visited Museo Barracco di Scultura Antica, San Saba, the
Villa Madama Villa Madama is a Renaissance-style rural palace (villa) located on Via di Villa Madama #250 in Rome, Italy. Located west of the city center and a few miles north of the Vatican, and just south of the Foro Olimpico Stadium. Even though incomplete, ...
and the
Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...
(among other things). He also paid a visit to the
Borgia Apartment The Borgia Apartments are a suite of rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrígo de Borgia). In the late 15th century, he commissioned the Italian painter Bernardino di Betto (Pinturicchio ...
and wrote a number of sketches about Lucrezia and
Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his sma ...
, who had painted her. In 1911 he wrote in ''Groot Nederland'' a sketch about Siena and
Ostia Antica Ostia Antica ("Ancient Ostia") is a large archaeological site, close to the modern town of Ostia, that is the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, 25 kilometres (15 miles) southwest of Rome. "Ostia" (plur. of "ostium") is a derivation ...
. He read
Gaston Boissier Marie-Louis-Antoine-Gaston Boissier (15 August 1823 – 20 November 1908), French classical scholar, and secretary of the Académie française, was born at Nîmes. The Roman monuments of his native town very early attracted Gaston Boissier to the ...
's ''Promenades archéologiques'' and made long walks through the ancient ruins of Rome. He also visited the exhibition in the Belle Arti in Florence, where also Dutch painters exhibited their work. Here he met Willem Steelink and Arnold Marc Gorter, who gave him a warm welcome. Couperus wrote about the travelling he and his wife constantly did: ''your living or not living, what hast thou found, O thou poor seekers, O thou poor vagabonds, rich in suitcases?'' Couperus spend the winter of 1911–1912 in Florence; meanwhile the Greco-Turkish War broke out and influenced life in Florence as well. Couperus wrote a sketch called ''De jonge held'' ("The Young Hero") about the son of friends in Italy who returned wounded from the front. In December Couperus and his wife left for
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
but spent some time in Orvieto, where they stayed in the same hotel that Bertel Thorvaldsen had once visited. Hereafter they travelled to Naples, where Couperus admired the
Farnese Hercules The ''Farnese Hercules'' ( it, Ercole Farnese) is an ancient statue of Hercules, probably an enlarged copy made in the early third century AD and signed by Glykon, who is otherwise unknown; the name is Greek but he may have worked in Rome. Like ...
, which inspired him to start writing his next novel, ''Herakles''.


Trading places

The first chapters of ''Herakles'' appeared during the first half of 1912 in ''Groot Nederland''. Couperus then stayed in Sicily, where he visited Syracuse and Messina; he and his wife then returned to Florence. During this period he visited Pisa and then travelled to Venice, where he attended the inauguration of the then-restored St Mark's Campanile (tower), and wrote about it in his sketch ''Feest van San Marco'' ("The party of San Marco"). Meanwhile, publisher L.J. Veen gave a positive answer to Couperus' question if he would be willing to publish the bundled sketches. As a result, in 1912 and 1913 ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht'' ("From white cities under blue sky") appeared in two parts. Couperus travelled from Venice to
Igis Igis ''( Romansh: Eigias)'' is a former municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Far better known than its proper name Igis is its hamlet Landquart, because of its Rail Station and motorway exit. The muni ...
and to
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
, where he visited a performance of Calderóns ''El mayor encanto, amor'' in the Künstler-Theater and a performance of Mozart's '' Don Giovanni'' at the Residenz-Theater. When Couperus celebrated his 50th birthday, ''Het Vaderland'' paid tribute to him by letting his friends and admirers publish praising words. Those friends and admirers included but were not limited to Frans Bastiaanse, Emmanuel de Bom, Henri van Booven, Ina Boudier-Bakker, Marie Joseph Brusse (the father of
Kees Brusse Kees Brusse (; 26 February 1925 – 9 December 2013) was a Dutch actor, film director and screenwriter. A self-taught actor, he was remarkable for his natural acting style at a time when more theatrical performances were the norm in The Neth ...
),
Herman Heijermans Herman Heijermans (3 December 1864 – 22 November 1924), was a Dutch writer. Heijermans was born in Rotterdam, into a liberal Jewish family, the fifth of the 11 children of Herman and Matilda (Moses) Spiers. Painter Marie Heijermans was his ...
and Willem Kloos. A committee was formed to collect the funds required for Couperus to make a journey to
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
. Members of that committee were for example Pieter Cornelis Boutens, Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and K.J.L. Alberdingk Thijm. Couperus however could not make this journey to Egypt because of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. On 29 September 1913, Johan Hendrik Ram killed himself, shooting a bullet into his head. Couperus returned to Florence later that year and attended the
futuristic The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
meeting of 12 December, which was also attended by
Giovanni Papini Giovanni Papini (9 January 18818 July 1956) was an Italian journalist, essayist, novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, and philosopher. A controversial literary figure of the early and mid-twentieth century, he was the earliest and ...
and
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti (; 22 December 1876 – 2 December 1944) was an Italian poet, editor, art theorist, and founder of the Futurist movement. He was associated with the utopian and Symbolist artistic and literary community Abbaye d ...
, at whom potatoes were thrown. Couperus admired them for their courage to speak despite the fact the public made so much noise they could hardly be heard. He also went to see the
Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a Half length portrait, half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described ...
, which had been found after it was stolen, at the Uffizi. Couperus said about new things such as futurism: ''The only thing that always will triumph in the end, above everything, is beauty''. In these years he started reading Giovanni Papini's ''Un uomo finito''; he compared the new literary movement to which Papini belonged, with those of the
Tachtigers The Tachtigers ("Eightiers"), otherwise known as the Movement of Eighty ( nl, Beweging van Tachtig), were a radical and influential group of Dutch writers who developed a new approach in 19th-century Dutch literature. They interacted and worked ...
in the Netherlands. He wrote an article about Papini's book, which he called magnificent, an almost perfect book, and he compared Papini with Lodewijk van Deyssel. Papini and Couperus met in Florence and Couperus found Papini rather shy. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Couperus-Baud translated
Pío Baroja Pío Baroja y Nessi (28 December 1872 – 30 October 1956) was a Spanish writer, one of the key novelists of the Generation of '98. He was a member of an illustrious family. His brother Ricardo was a painter, writer and engraver, and his nephew ...
's ''La ciudad de la niebla''. During this time Couperus' ''Wreede portretten'' (Cruel portraits) were published in ''Het Vaderland''. De ''Wrede portretten'' were a series of profiles of pension guests whom Couperus had met during his travels in Rome and elsewhere. He also had a meeting with Dutch actress Theo Mann-Bouwmeester, who suggested to change ''Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid'' into a play; although this plan did not come into reality for Couperus it opened possibilities for his books in future.


Public performances

When World War I began, Couperus was in Munich. On 27 August 1914 the son of
Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last hei ...
, Luitpold, died of
polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
and Couperus went to see his body in the Theatrine Church. During this time he admired the German: ''I admire them because they are tragic and fight a tragic struggle, like a tragic hero fights.'' In September he returned to Florence and in February 1915 to the Netherlands, where he visited the premiere of Frederik van Eeden's ''De heks van Haarlem'' (The witch of Haarlem) and met Van Eeden. He made a translation of Edmond Rostands '' Cantecler'', although the play was never performed on stage. During this time Couperus started making performances as an elocutionist. His first performance at the art room Kleykamp for an audience of students from Delft was a huge success. The decor consisted of a
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
and a painting made by Antonio da Correggio that
Abraham Bredius Dr. Abraham Bredius (18 April 1855 in Amsterdam – 13 March 1946 in Monaco) was a Dutch art collector, art historian, and museum curator. Life Bredius travelled widely, visiting various art collections in his youth, and worked at the Dutch Mus ...
had lent for this occasion. Couperus read ''De zonen der zon'' (Sons of the sun) aloud. While Couperus made his performances, L.J. Veen published the first parts of ''Van en over alles en iedereen'' (By and about everything and everyone) and publisher Holkema & Warendorf ''De ongelukkige'' (The unfortunate) (1915). Couperus himself wrote that year ''De dood van den Dappere'' (The death of the brave one), which dealt with the end of El Zagal and started to write ''De Comedianten'' (The comedians), inspired by the
Menaechmi ''Menaechmi'', a Latin-language play, is often considered Plautus' greatest play. The title is sometimes translated as ''The Brothers Menaechmus'' or ''The Two Menaechmuses''. The ''Menaechmi'' is a comedy about mistaken identity, involving a se ...
; this book was published with Nijgh & Van Ditmar in 1917. Couperus read Ludwig Friedländers ''Darstellungen aus der Sittengeschichte Roms in der Zeit von August bis zum Ausgang der Antonine'' to increase his knowledge of Ancient Rome which he needed for ''De Comedianten''. In these years Couperus met S.F. van Oss, who was the founder of ''De Haagsche Post'', who asked if Couperus would be willing to write for his magazine. Couperus later published his travelogues (made during his travels to Africa, Dutch East Indies and Japan) as a result in De Haagsche Post, as well as many epigrams. For his friend Herman Roelvink he translated the play written by
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
, '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1916). As from December 1916 he restarted writing his weekly sketch in ''Het Vaderland'', for example ''Romeinsche portretten'' (Roman portraits), during which he was inspired by Martial and
Juvenal Decimus Junius Juvenalis (), known in English as Juvenal ( ), was a Roman poet active in the late first and early second century CE. He is the author of the collection of satirical poems known as the '' Satires''. The details of Juvenal's life ...
. He also continued giving performances for the public in the evening. In 1917 he wrote the novel ''Het zwevende schaakbord'' (The floating chessboard), about the adventures of
Gawain Gawain (), also known in many other forms and spellings, is a character in Arthurian legend, in which he is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table. The prototype of Gawain is mentioned under the name Gwalchmei in the earliest ...
; this novel was first published as a serial in the Haagsche Post. He read as research for this book Jacob van Maerlant's ''Merlijns boec'' and Lodewijk van Velthem's ''Boec van Coninc Artur'' ("Book of King Arthur"). In July 1918 publisher L.J. Veen sent Couperus a translation of
Vitruvius Vitruvius (; c. 80–70 BC – after c. 15 BC) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work entitled '' De architectura''. He originated the idea that all buildings should have three attribut ...
' '' De architectura'' and Couperus wrote about it in ''Het Vaderland''. Meanwhile, het Hofstadtoneel (Residence Theater) was about to perform the stage version (made by Elisabeth Couperus-Baud) of ''Eline Vere''; this play received bad product reviews. During this period of his life Couperus read the works written by Quintus Curtius Rufus, Arrian and
Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...
to find inspiration for his next work ''Iskander''. The year 1919 was not a happy one for Couperus: his favourite nephew Frans Vlielander Hein died together with his wife when his ship was hit by a mine and L.J. Veen, his publisher and his brother-in-law Benjamin Marinus Vlielander Hein died that year as well.


Last years

In 1920 ''Iskander'' (a novel about
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
) was published in ''Groot Nederland''; critics were not positive because of the many gay scenes. In October 1920 Couperus travelled for the ''Haagsche Post'' to Egypt; his travelogues were published weekly. In Africa he visited Algiers, travelled to
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
,
Biskra Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&n ...
,
Touggourt Touggourt ( ar, ﺗﻗﺮت or تڤرت; ber, ⵜⵓⴳⵓⵔⵜ, Tugurt, lit=the gateway or 'the gate') is a city and commune, former sultanate and capital of Touggourt District, in Touggourt Province, Algeria, built next to an oasis in the Sa ...
and
Timgad Timgad ( ar, تيمقاد, links=, lit=, translit=Tīmgād, known as Marciana Traiana Thamugadi) was a Roman city in the Aurès Mountains of Algeria. It was founded by the Roman Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. The full name of the city was ''Colon ...
and then continued his journey to
Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...
and the ruins of
Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...
, where he met a pupil of Marie-Louis-Antoine-Gaston Boissier. After this Couperus went back to Algiers, because he wanted to see the boxing skills of
Georges Carpentier Georges Carpentier (; 12 January 1894 – 28 October 1975) was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and ...
. Afterwards he wrote: ''I thought that in my life I have written too many books and boxed too little.'' On 3 May 1921 Couperus and his wife returned to
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
and travelled to Paris, in time to be present at the festivities held for the canonization of
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
. On 1 June, Couperus and his wife left for England, where they would meet Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and during which visit Couperus wrote ''With Louis Couperus in London-Season''; these stories were published in the ''Haagsche Post''. In England Couperus met Stephen McKenna and Edmund Gosse. McKenna had written the forewords for ''Majesty'' and ''Old People and the Things that Pass''. He also met
Frank Arthur Swinnerton Frank Arthur Swinnerton (12 August 1884 – 6 November 1982) was an English novelist, critic, biographer and essayist. He was the author of more than 50 books, and as a publisher's editor helped other writers including Aldous Huxley and Lytton S ...
during a lunch and went to a Russian ballet in the Prince's Theater, where the orchestra was conducted by
Ernest Ansermet Ernest Alexandre Ansermet (; 11 November 1883 – 20 February 1969)"Ansermet, Ernest" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 435. was a Swiss conductor. Biography Ansermet ...
. He also met with his English publisher, Thornton Butterworth, visited a small concert, where
Myra Hess Dame Julia Myra Hess, (25 February 1890 – 25 November 1965) was an English pianist best known for her performances of the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann. Career Early life Julia Myra Hess was born on 25 February 1890 to a J ...
played and also had meetings with George Moore and George Bernard Shaw. Couperus also let his picture taken by E.O. Hoppé after which he had a meeting with the Dutch consul in London, René de Marees van Swinderen and a diner at the house of
H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...
. The next day Couperus went to the Titmarsh club, where he met William Leonard Courtney, and heard
Lady Astor Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor, (19 May 1879 – 2 May 1964) was an American-born British politician who was the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament (MP), serving from 1919 to 1945. Astor's first husband was America ...
, whom he had previously met in Constantine, speak in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
. Soon after this Couperus and his wife returned to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands Couperus prepared himself for his journey to the Dutch East Indies, China and Japan. He and his wife left for the Dutch East Indies on 1 October 1921 and left the boat at
Belawan Belawan ( zh, t=勿老灣, s=, poj=mài lau ôan) is a harbor in Medan, North Sumatra. Located on the northeast coast of Sumatra, Belawan is Indonesia's busiest seaport outside of Java. It constitutes the most northerly of the city of Medan's ...
, because they would stay with their friend Louis Constant Westenenk at
Medan Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four mai ...
. In Batavia he dined with Governor-General Dirk Fock and also held public performances, where he would read out his books. After a visit to the
Borobudur Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indone ...
Couperus and his wife visited Surabaya and Bali. On 16 February they left for Hong Kong and Shanghai. In Japan they visited Kobe and
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
; in this last place Couperus became seriously ill, was diagnosed with
Typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
and was sent to the International Hospital in Kobe. After seven weeks he was fit enough to travel to
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
. He and his wife stayed for two weeks at the
Fujiya Hotel The is a historic hotel in Miyanoshita in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan. History The hotel was constructed in 1891 and consists of different sections constructed in a mixture of traditional Japanese and western architecture that was popular during ...
, where Couperus read
Kenjirō Tokutomi (December 8, 1868 – September 18, 1927) was a Japanese writer and philosopher. He wrote novels under the pseudonym of , and his best-known work was his 1899 novel ''The Cuckoo''. Biography Tokutomi was born on December 8, 1868 in Minamat ...
's novel ''Nami-Ko''. He and his wife then travelled to Tokyo, where they stayed with the Dutch consul and visited
Nikkō is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 80,239 in 36,531 households, and a population density of 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a popular destination for Japanese and ...
. They returned to the Netherlands on 10 October 1922.


Death and tributes

Back in the Netherlands, it turned out that Couperus' kidneys and liver were affected. Despite his illness Couperus wrote a series of sketches for ''Het Vaderland'' and ''Groot Nederland''. He also was able to visit the opera again and went to see ''
Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 Decemb ...
''. In 1923 the couple moved to De Steeg, where Couperus received the rather prestigious Tollens prize. Meanwhile, a committee was formed to celebrate Couperus' 60th birthday and gather funds as a birthday gift. Couperus' health deteriorated rapidly and apart from lung and liver problems Couperus suffered from an infection in his nose. During Couperus birthday party a sum of 12,000
guilders Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Emp ...
was handed over to him and speeches were held by
Lodewijk van Deyssel Lodewijk van Deyssel was the pseudonym of Karel Joan Lodewijk Alberdingk Thijm (22 September 1864, Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague ...
and minister Johannes Theodoor de Visser; Couperus was also appointed knight in the
Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...
. During the following reception minister
Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek Herman Adriaan van Karnebeek (21 August 1874 – 29 March 1942) was a Dutch politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1918 and 1927 and, in that capacity, as President of the Assembly of the League of Nations from 1921 until ...
and Albert Vogel, among many others, paid Couperus their respect. On 11 July 1923, Couperus was brought to hospital (in Velp), because the infection in his nose had not healed, but came back home a day later. He now suffered from
erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...
as well as
sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
in the nose. He fell into a coma on 14 July, remained in that state for two days with high fever and died on 16 July 1923.'Louis Couperus'
in ''Limburgsch Dagblad''. 17 July 1923. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
He was cremated at
Westerveld Westerveld () is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The municipality Westerveld was established in 1998 out of the municipalities of Diever, Dwingeloo, Havelte, and Vledder. Westerveld is crossed by a channel, the ''Drentsche Hoofdva ...
, where Gustaaf Paul Hecking Coolenbrander (a nephew), among others, spoke to remember Couperus.


Bibliography


Books published during Couperus' life


Poetry

* ''Een lent van vaerzen'' (1884) (" A ribbon of poems") * ''Orchideeën. Een bundel poëzie en proza'' (1886) (" Orchids, a collection of prose and poetry") * ''Williswinde'' (1895) ("
Williswinde ''Williswinde'' is a collection of verses written by Dutch writer Louis Couperus. The first edition (1.250 books were printed for this edition) was published by L.J. Veen in 1895. In 1904 Veen acquired full rights of ''Williswinde'' and 16 other w ...
")


Novels

Translations by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos 865-1921unless noted otherwise. * ''Eline Vere'' (1889); Translated into English by J. T. Grein as ''
Eline Vere ''Eline Vere'' is an 1889 novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus. It was adapted into the 1991 film '' Eline Vere'', directed by Harry Kümel. Couperus wrote ''Eline Vere'' in the house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague. Reception The naturalis ...
'' (1892); revised translation published in 2009 by Holland Park Press and new translation published in 2010 by Archipelago Books, NY. * ''Noodlot'' (1890); Translated into English by Clara Bell as ''
Footsteps of Fate ''Footsteps of Fate'' (Dutch: ''Noodlot'') is a novel written by Louis Couperus and published in 1891. ''Footsteps of Fate'' was first published in the Dutch magazine "De Gids" (October 1890). In 1891 the novel was translated into English by Cla ...
'' (1891). * ''Extaze. Een boek van geluk'' (1892); Translated into English as '' Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness'' (1897). * ''Majesteit'' (1893); Translated into English as ''Majesty: A Novel'' (1895) * ''Wereldvrede'' (1895) ("World peace") * ''Metamorfoze'' (1897) ("Metamorphosis") * ''Langs lijnen der geleidelijkheid'' (1900); Translated into English as '' Inevitable'', ''The Inevitable'' (1920) or ''The Law Inevitable'' (1921). * ''De stille kracht'' (1900); Translated into English as '' The Hidden Force: A Story of Modern Java'' (1921); revised edition with an introduction and notes by E.M. Beekman (1939-2008), Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, 1985, 1992. * ''De boeken der kleine zielen. De kleine zielen'' (1901); Translated into English as ''The books of small souls. Small Souls'' (1914). * ''De boeken der kleine zielen. Het late leven'' (1902); Translated into English as ''The books of small souls. The Later Life'' (1915). * ''De boeken der kleine zielen. Zielenschemering'' (1902); Translated into English as ''The books of small souls. The Twilight of the Souls'' (1917). * ''De boeken der kleine zielen. Het heilige weten'' (1903); Translated into English as ''The books of small souls. Dr. Adriaan'' (1918). * ''Dionyzos'' (1904) * ''De berg van licht'' (1905/6) ("The mountain of light") * ''Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan...'' (1906); Translated into English as ''Old People and the Things that Pass'' (1918) * ''Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte'' (1911); Translated into English as ''The Tour: A Story of Ancient Egypt'' (1920) * ''Herakles'' (1913) * ''De ongelukkige'' (1915) ("The unhappy one") * ''De komedianten'' (1917); Translated into English by Jacobine Menzies-Wilson as ''The Comedians: A Story of Ancient Rome'' (1926). * ''De verliefde ezel'' (1918) ("The donkey in love") * ''Xerxes of de hoogmoed'' (1919); Translated into English by Frederick H. Martens as ''Arrogance: The Conquests of Xerxes'' (1930). * ''Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote'' (1920)


Novellas, fairy tales, and short stories

* ''Eene illuzie'' (1892) ("An illusion") * ''Hooge troeven'' (1896) ("High trumps") * ''Psyche'' (1898); Translated into English by B. S. Berrington as ''Psyche'' (1908). * ''Fidessa'' (1899) * ''Babel'' (1901) * ''God en goden'' (1903) * ''Aan den weg der vreugde'' (1908) ("On the road of happiness") * ''De ode'' (1919) * ''Lucrezia'' (1920) * ''Het zwevende schaakbord'' (1922) ("The floating chessboard")


Short stories and sketches

Louis Couperus wrote hundreds of short stories, sketches, travel impressions, and letters, which were first published as feuilletons. Those feuilletons were later bundled and published as books. * ''Reis-impressies'' (1894) ("Travel impressions") * ''Over lichtende drempels'' (1902) ("Over Shining Doorsteps") * ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Eerste bundel'' (1910) ("About me and others. Volume I") * ''Antieke verhalen van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren'' (1911) ("Antique Stories, about gods and emperors, of poets and hetaeras") * ''Korte arabesken'' (1911) ("Short Arabesques") * ''De zwaluwen neêr gestreken...'' (1911) ("The Swallows Landed") * ''Schimmen van schoonheid'' (1912) (" Shadows of beauty") * ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Eerste bundel'' (1912) ("From white cities under a blue sky. Volume I") * ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht. Tweede bundel'' (1913) ("From white cities under a blue sky. Volume II") * ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Tweede bundel'' (1914) ("About me and others. Volume II") * ''Van en over alles en iedereen'' (1915) ("About everything and everyone"): *# ''Rome'' ("Rome") *# ''Genève, Florence'' ("Geneva, Florence") *# ''Sicilië, Venetië, München'' ("Sicily, Venice, Munich") *# ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen'' ("About me and others") *# ''Spaansch toerisme'' ("Spanish tourism") * ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Derde bundel'' (1916) ("About me and others. Volume III") * ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen. Vierde bundel'' (1917) ("About me and others. Volume IV") * ''Jan en Florence'' (1917) ("Jan and Florence") * ''Wreede portretten'' (1917) ("Cruel portraits") * ''Legende, mythe en fantazie'' (1918) ("Legend, myth and fantasy") * ''Der dingen ziel'' (1918) ("The Soul of Things") * ''Brieven van den nutteloozen toeschouwer'' (1918) ("Letters of the useless spectator") * ''Elyata'' (1919) * ''De betoveraar'' (1919) ("The enchanter") * ''Met Louis Couperus in Afrika'' (1921) ("With Louis Couperus in Africa") * ''Oostwaarts'' (1923); Translated into English by Jacobine Menzies-Wilson as ''Eastward'' (1924). * ''Proza. Eerste bundel'' (1923) ("Prose. Volume I") * ''Het snoer der ontferming'' (1924) ("The String of Compassion") * ''Proza. Tweede bundel'' (1924) ("Prose. Volume II") * ''Nippon'' (1925); Translated into English by John De La Valette as ''Nippon'' (1926). * ''Proza. Derde bundel'' (1925) ("Prose. Volume III")


Miscellaneous

* ''De verzoeking van den H. Antonius'' (1896)


''Verzamelde werken'' (Collected Works)

# Jeugdwerk; ''Eline Vere''; Novellen (1953) # ''Noodlot''; ''Extase''; ''Majesteit''; ''Wereldvrede''; ''Hoge troeven'' (1953) # ''Metamorfose''; ''Psyche''; ''Fidessa''; ''Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid'' (1953) # ''De stille kracht''; ''Babel''; Novellen; ''De zonen der zon''; ''Jahve''; ''Dionysos'' (1953) # ''De boeken der kleine zielen'' (1952) # ''Van oude mensen de dingen die voorbijgaan''; ''De berg van licht'' (1952) # ''Aan de weg der vreugde''; ''Antiek toerisme''; Verhalen en arabesken (1954) # ''Herakles''; Verhalen en dagboekbladen; ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht'' (1956) # ''Lucrezia''; ''De ongelukkige''; Legenden en portretten (1956) # ''De komedianten''; ''De verliefde ezel''; ''Het zwevende schaakbord'' (1955) # ''Xerxes''; ''Iskander'' (1954) # ''Verhalen'' (1957)


''Volledige werken Louis Couperus'' (Complete Works)

# ''Een lent van vaerzen'' (1988) # ''Orchideeën. Een bundel poëzie en proza'' (1989) # ''Eline Vere. Een Haagsche roman'' (1987) # ''Noodlot'' (1990) # ''Extaze. Een boek van geluk'' (1990) # ''Eene illuzie'' (1988) # ''Majesteit'' (1991) # ''Reis-impressies'' (1988) # ''Wereldvrede'' (1991) # ''Williswinde'' (1990) # ''Hooge troeven'' (1991) # ''De verzoeking van den H. Antonius'' (1992) # ''Metamorfoze'' (1988) # ''Psyche'' (1992) # ''Fidessa'' (1992) # ''Langs lijnen van geleidelijkheid'' (1989) # ''De stille kracht'' (1989) # ''Babel'' (1993) # ''De boeken der kleine zielen. I en II'' (1991) # ''De boeken der kleine zielen. III en IV'' (1991) # ''Over lichtende drempels'' (1993) # ''God en goden'' (1989) # ''Dionyzos'' (1988) # ''De berg van licht'' (1993) # ''Van oude menschen, de dingen, die voorbij gaan...'' (1988) # ''Aan den weg der vreugde'' (1989) # ''Van en over mijzelf en anderen'' (1989) # ''Antieke verhalen. Van goden en keizers, van dichters en hetaeren'' (1993) # ''Korte arabesken'' (1990) # ''Antiek toerisme. Roman uit Oud-Egypte'' (1987) # ''De zwaluwen neêr gestreken...'' (1993) # ''Schimmen van schoonheid'' (1991) # ''Uit blanke steden onder blauwe lucht'' (1994) # ''Herakles'' (1994) # ''Van en over alles en iedereen'' (1990) # ''De ongelukkige'' (1994) # ''De komedianten'' (1992) # ''Legende, mythe en fantazie'' (1994) # ''De verliefde ezel'' (1994) # ''De ode'' (1990) # ''Xerxes, of De hoogmoed'' (1993) # ''Iskander. De roman van Alexander den Groote'' (1995) # ''Met Louis Couperus in Afrika'' (1995) # ''Het zwevende schaakbord'' (1994) # ''Oostwaarts'' (1992) # ''Proza. Eerste bundel'' (1995) # ''Het snoer der ontferming. Japansche legenden'' (1995) # ''Nippon'' (1992) # ''Ongebundeld werk'' (1996) # ''Ongepubliceerd werk'' (1996)


Published letters

* In two volumes: 1. ''Waarde heer Veen : (1890–1902)'' and 2. ''Amice : (1902–1919)'' * *