The Zutistes or the Circle of Poets Zutiques was an informal group of French poets, painters and musicians who met at the
Hôtel des Étrangers, at the corner of
rue Racine and
rue de l'École-de-Médecine, in Paris in September and October 1871.
Background
The Zutistes were a fringe spin-off from a splinter group of
Parnassians, known as the "Nasty Fellows" or "Villains Bonshommes", who formed a Parisian dining club at the close of the 1860s. Without having a formal manifesto, and taking their name from the French exclamation of baffled exasperation, ''Zut'', this informal gathering of artists known as the Zutistes gathered around the figure of the pianist
Ernest Cabaner, who worked as a bartender/piano player at the hotel. Anarchic in spirit, they looked back regretfully to the atmosphere of the
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
of March to May that year. A significant figure in the circle was
Charles Cros
Charles Cros or Émile-Hortensius-Charles Cros (October 1, 1842 – August 9, 1888) was a French poet and inventor. He was born in Fabrezan, Aude.
Cros was a well-regarded poet and humorous writer. As an inventor, he was interested in the field ...
, while other members were later better known, like
Verlaine
Verlaine (; wa, Verlinne) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Verlaine had a total population of 3,507. The total area is 24.21 km2 which gives a population density of 145 inhabitan ...
and
Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he start ...
.
The Album
The most significant trace of the movement came with the re-discovery in the Thirties of the Zutique Album, with some 101 literary entries accompanied by (sometimes pornographic) drawings.
Shot through with black humour, and riddled with parody and pastiche of contemporary styles and attitudes, the album is the best guide to the Circle's membership of some fourteen names. A central target of the Album's mockery was the recently successful Parnassian
Francois Coppee, while other more established figures like
José-Maria de Heredia
José-Maria de Heredia (22 November 1842 – 3 October 1905) was a Cuban-born French Parnassian poet. He was the fifteenth member elected for seat 4 of the Académie française in 1894.
Biography
Early years
Heredia was born at Fortuna C ...
and
Leconte de Lisle
Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle (; 22 October 1818 – 17 July 1894) was a French poet of the Parnassian movement. He is traditionally known by his surname only, Leconte de Lisle''.
Biography
Leconte de Lisle was born on the French overseas ...
were also in the line of fire. This album is in the form of an in-quarto Italian, black hardback cover, about thirty sheets handwritten, the other pages remained blank.
Aftermath
Nostalgia for the circle persisted among its members long after its break-up, perhaps as early as the winter of 1871–1872: thus for example the young Zutiste
Raoul Ponchon
Raoul Ponchon (born 30 December 1848 in La Roche-sur-Yon, France, died 3 December 1937 in Paris, France) was a French poet. A friend of Arthur Rimbaud, he was one of only "seven known recipients" of the first edition of ''A Season in Hell
...
was one of only seven recipients of Rimbaud's ''
A Season in Hell
''A Season in Hell'' (french: Une Saison en Enfer}) is an extended poem in prose written and published in 1873 by French writer Arthur Rimbaud. It is the only work that was published by Rimbaud himself. The book had a considerable influence ...
''; Charles Cros in 1883 used "zutique" to name a new poetry circle; while (perhaps coincidentally) as late as in 1897 the claim would be made that "man is by nature essentially 'zutique'".
[Anon, quoted in S Whidden, ''Authority in Crisis in French Literature'' (2016) p 64]
See also
References
External links
Album called Zutique
{{Authority control
category:Arthur Rimbaud
19th-century French poets
French male poets
French parodists
French satirists