About
Antonin Artaud, born in Marseille in 1896, is a major figure of the 20th-century avant-garde. A member of the Surrealist movement, he broke away in 1926 to co-found the Théâtre Alfred Jarry. He is best known for his concept of the Theatre of Cruelty, expounded in his theoretical work 'The Theatre and Its Double' (1938). As an actor, he appeared in films by Carl Dreyer and Abel Gance. Suffering from mental illness, he spent nearly nine years in psychiatric asylums. His final years were marked by intense writings, including 'Van Gogh, the Man Suicided by Society' (1947), which earned him the Prix Sainte-Beuve. His work profoundly influenced the Theatre of the Absurd and directors such as Peter Brook and Jerzy Grotowski.
* 1896-09-04 — † 1948-03-04
Major works
- L'Ombilic des limbes (1925)poetry collection
- Le Pèse-nerfs (1925)poetry collection
- Le Théâtre et son double (1938)theoretical essay
- Les Cenci (1935)play
- Van Gogh, le suicidé de la société (1947)essay
Key milestones
- 1926Co-founded the Théâtre Alfred Jarry with Roger Vitrac after breaking with André Breton's Surrealist group.
- 1936Traveled to Mexico to study Tarahumara peyote rituals.
- 1947Received the Prix Sainte-Beuve for 'Van Gogh, the Man Suicided by Society'.
Themes
Theatre of CrueltySurrealismMental illness and madnessBody and languageMarginality and exclusion
Sources: britannica.com · moma.org