Chateaubriand ou la polysémie des archives

This article studies Chateaubriand’s views of the very nature of archives at the time of the publication of his Études historiques (1831). His critique of the increasing development of erudition and historical investigation around 1830 serves as a useful context for considering the reasons of his so-called “adieu à l’histoire.” By focusing on his metaphorical use of the term “archives” and other notions coming from elite and erudite culture, the article sheds light on the way in which Chateaubriand includes historiographical issues in his autobiographical masterwork, Mémoires d’outre-tombe. (In French)