About
Robert de Montesquiou (1855-1921), Count of Montesquiou-Fézensac, was a French Symbolist poet, writer, and art critic. Born into an illustrious noble family, he epitomized the refined aesthete and dandy of the Belle Époque. His poetry collections, such as Les Chauves-souris (1892) and Les Hortensias bleus (1896), reflect his taste for ornament and decadence. He served as the primary model for Des Esseintes in Huysmans' À rebours and for Baron de Charlus in Proust's In Search of Lost Time. A collector and patron of the arts, he moved in the artistic and literary circles of his day. He also competed in the equestrian events at the 1900 Olympic Games.
* 1855-03-07 — † 1921-12-11
Major works
- Les Chauves-souris (1892)poetry collection
- Le Chef des odeurs suaves (1893)poetry collection
- Les Hortensias bleus (1896)poetry collection
- Roseaux pensants (1897)poetry collection
- Les Pas effacés (1923)memoirs
Key milestones
- 1887Wrote the optional choral verses for Gabriel Fauré's Pavane.
- 1891James McNeill Whistler painted his portrait, Arrangement in Black and Gold, now at the Frick Collection.
- 1900Won a bronze medal in the hacks and hunter combined equestrian event at the 1900 Paris Olympics.
Themes
dandyismdecadenceaestheticismsymbolismart patronage
Sources: data.bnf.fr · collections.frick.org · whistler.arts.gla.ac.uk