Précieuses
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The ''Précieuses'' ( , i.e. "preciousness") was a 17th-century French literary style and movement. The main features of this style are the refined language of aristocratic salons, periphrases,
hyperbole Hyperbole (; adj. hyperbolic ) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In rhetoric, it is also sometimes known as auxesis (literally 'growth'). In poetry and oratory, it emphasizes, evokes strong feelings, and cre ...
, and
pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...
s on the theme of gallant love. The movement was similar to the Italian marinism, Spanish '' culteranismo'', and English euphuism.


History

The movement arose in the 17th century from the lively conversations and playful word games of ''les précieuses'' (), the intellectual, witty and educated women who frequented the
salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
of Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet. Her ''Chambre bleue'' (the "blue room" of her ''
hôtel particulier () is the French term for a grand urban mansion, comparable to a Townhouse (Great Britain), British townhouse. Whereas an ordinary (house) was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a ...
'') offered a Parisian refuge from the dangerous political factionalism and coarse manners of the royal court during the regency of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. One of the central figures of the salon that gathered at the '' Hôtel de Rambouillet'' was Madeleine de Scudéry. She wrote voluminous romance novels that embodied the refinements of ''preciosité'' including the concepts of feminine elegance, etiquette and courtly
Platonic love Platonic love is a type of love in which sexual desire or romantic features are nonexistent or have been suppressed or sublimated, but it means more than simple friendship. The term is derived from the name of Greek philosopher Plato, tho ...
that were hugely popular with female audiences, but scorned by most men, including
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...
, who satirized the ''précieuses'' in his comedy '' Les Précieuses ridicules'' (1659). The "questions of love" that were debated in the ''précieuses salons reflected the " courts of love" (fictional courts which judged lovers' behavior) that were a feature of medieval courtly love. None of the women ever actually used or defined the term ''Précieuse'' themselves. Myriam Maître has found in ''préciosité'' not so much a listable series of characteristics "as an interplay of forces, a place to confront and resolve the tensions that extended through the century, the court and the field of literature". In assessing the career of Philippe Quinault, which began at the ''Hôtel de Bourgogne'' in 1653, Patricia Howard noted, "For if in French theatre in the second half of the century, women's roles are preeminent, it was the précieux movement which made them so." One ''préciosité'' parlor game, the retelling of
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...
s as if spontaneously (though the tales were in fact carefully prepared), was to have great effects. Many of these fairy tales, in the ''préciosité'' style, were written, mostly notably by
Madame d'Aulnoy Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (September 1652 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. Her 1697 collection ''Les Contes des Fées'' (Fairy Tales) ...
. This fashion for fairy tales, and the writers themselves, were a notable influence later upon
Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...
, and
Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (28 November 1685 – 29 December 1755) was a French author influenced by Madame d'Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, and various précieuse writers. Villeneuve is particularly noted for her original story of ''L ...
, the author of ''
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
''. The stories tended to vary from the folk tradition, for example the characters were made to be of genteel origin. Whilst the heroes and heroines of fairy tales written by the ''précieuses'' often appeared as shepherds and shepherdesses, in
pastoral The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...
settings, these figures were often secretly royal or noble. Lewis Seifert, "The Marvelous in Context: The Place of the Contes de Fées in Late Seventeenth Century France", Jack Zipes, ed., The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm, pp. 920-1, The ''précieuses'' are also remembered through the filter of
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...
's one-act satire, '' Les Précieuses ridicules'' (1659). After years touring the provinces, this bitter
comedy of manners In English literature, the term comedy of manners (also anti-sentimental comedy) describes a genre of realistic, satirical comedy that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. ...
brought Molière and his company to the attention of Parisians and attracted the patronage of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. ''Les Précieuses ridicules'' is considered to be the origin of the
pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...
connotation of ''précieuse'' as "affected". The phenomenon of the ''précieuses'' in establishing French literary classicism was first revived by Louis Roederer in 1838. His ''Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de la société polie en France'', evoked an atmosphere of nostalgia for the ''douceur de vivre'' of the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
and the aristocratic leisure of its authors, at least for the upper classes. Later, Roxane, a critical character in Edmond Rostand's 1897 play '' Cyrano de Bergerac'', is described as a ''précieuse''. René Bary (died in 1680) a French historiographer and rhetorician wrot
''La Rhétorique française où pour principale augmentation l'on trouve les secrets de nostre langue''
published in Paris in 1653 for the female audience of the précieuses.


Significant authors

*
Madame d'Aulnoy Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (September 1652 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. Her 1697 collection ''Les Contes des Fées'' (Fairy Tales) ...
* Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac * Isaac de Benserade * Charles Cotin * Antoine Godeau * Henriette-Julie de Murat *
Paul Pellisson Paul Pellisson (30 October 1624 – 7 February 1693) was a French author, associated with the Baroque '' Précieuses'' movement. Pellisson was born in Béziers, of a distinguished Calvinist family. He studied law at Toulouse, and practised at ...
* Madeleine de Scudéry * Honoré d'Urfé * Vincent Voiture


See also

* Rococo#Literature


Footnotes


Sources

* * Howard, Patricia. "The Influence of the Précieuses on Content and Structure in Quinault's and Lully's Tragédies Lyriques" ''Acta Musicologica'' 63.1 (January 1991), pp. 57–72. *Howard, Patricia. "Quinault, Lully, and the Precieuses: Images of Women in Seventeenth-Century France." in ''Cecilia Reclaimed: Feminist Perspectives on Gender and Music'' ed. Susan C. Cook and Judy S. Tsou, editors, pp 70–89. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994. *Maître, Myriam. ''Les Précieuses: naissance des femmes de lettres en France au XVIIe siècle'', H. Champion, collection "Lumière classique", Paris, 1999 {{DEFAULTSORT:Precieuses 17th-century French literature French literary movements Baroque literature