Corinne: une artiste héroïne de roman

When Mme de Staël published Corinne ou l'Italie in 1807, most people read the novel as an idealized representation of its author's life. However, today's reader will find in it the image of the ideal female artist. Mme de Staël describes this artist as a being superior to others because she possesses determination, generosity, numerous artistic talents, a capacity for elevating herself above common life and for extraordinary love and extraordinary suffering. Unfortunately all those qualities of the female artist avail her nothing because society prevents her from combining her personal life with her artistic endeavor – a puzzling conclusion from an author like Mme de Staël. (In French) (CLD)