The Writings of J.-K. Huysmans and Gustave Moreau's Painting: Affinity or Divergence?

The article considers anew the role played by Moreau's painting in Huysmans's novels À rebours (1884) and En rade (1887), as well as art criticism. While the evident affinities between the two artists have mislead most critics, this article uncovers key divergences between them. An analysis of Huysmans's decadent slant on Moreau's work illuminates the way inter-art relationships contribute to a paradoxical interplay of classical and modernist tendencies in fin de siècle French and European culture. The divergence between Huysmans and Moreau exemplifies the pivotal conflict between l'amour du difforme and l'amour du beau in this context. However, deeper spiritual and moral affinities that ultimately emerge between the two artists dialectically link the two conflicting attitudes. (In English) (NG-S)