In his 14 years in Paris, Molire singlehandedly wrote 31 of the 85 plays performed on his stage. Who Said It? George Dandin, ou Le mari confondu (The Confounded Husband) was little appreciated, but success returned with L'Avare (The Miser), now very well known. The Palace of Versailles benefited from the France Relance plan. He earned a position as one of the king's favourites and enjoyed his protection from the attacks of the court. Despite a fair amount of lines, this role was uncredited in program guides and reviews. However, the troupe had acquired large debts, mostly for the rent of the theatre (a court for jeu de paume), for which they owed 2000 livres. To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive. La Forest a sixty-eight-year-old woman, cook and friend to Molire. Omissions? Max Size, 2827 x 1600px JPG, Size: 2.5 MB. WebXIV (16381715) in 1658, it was Molire's comedy, Le Docteur amoureux , 1664 Molire was invited to perform Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, an attack on religious hypocrisy, for Louis XIV at Versailles, France. Historians differ as to whether his father or the lover of a member of his troupe paid his debts; either way, after a 24-hour stint in prison he returned to the acting circuit. WebDuring these 12 years he polished his skills as actor, director, administrator, and playwright. His stage name, Molire, is first found in a document dated June 28, 1644. R.B. WebLouis XIV was not wrong, as some have claimed, to remove himself from unhealthful and tumultuous Paris, but he erred in breaking with the wandering tradition of his ancestors. the semi-improvisatory style that in the 1750s writers started calling commedia dell'arte), Spanish, and French plays, all also drawing on classical models (e.g. Each version represented a different stage in a conflict that brought the playwright up against the great secular and religious forces of seventeenth-century France. They were in Lyon intermittently from the end of 1652 to the summer of 1655 and again in 1657, at Montpellier in 1654 and 1655, and at Bziers in 1656. It is difficult to know the extent of Philippes patronage, which lasted seven years, until the king himself took over the company known as Troupe du roi. No doubt the company gained a certain celebrity and prestige, invitations to great houses, and subsidies (usually unpaid) to actors, but not much more. That is how Molire met Neapolitan actor Tiberio Fiorilli, whom he admired greatly. The resulting war lasted from 1688 to 1697. Inscrivez-vous la lettre d'information La quotidienne pour recevoir toutes nos dernires Actualits une fois par jour. More lay behind these attacks on Le Tartuffe and its author than was immediately obvious. Plautus and Terence), especially the trope of the clever slave/servant.[19]. The king's brother became Molire's patron; later Molire and his colleagues were appointed official providers of entertainment to the Sun King himself. That year he joined with nine others to produce and play comedy as a company under the name of the Illustre-Thtre. Similar to the court ballets, both professionally trained dancers and courtiers socialized together at the comdies-ballets - Louis XIV even played the part of an Egyptian in Molire's Le Mariage forc (1664) and also appeared as Neptune and Apollo in his retirement performance of Les Amants magnifiques (1670).[24]. This royal favour brought a royal pension to his troupe and the title Troupe du Roi ("The King's Troupe"). Original file (2,827 1,600 pixels, file size: 1.52 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg). Molire had other enemies, too, among them the Jansenists and some traditional authors. Boileau also supported him through statements that he included in his Art potique. Franoise Madame de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV. Louiss great fortune was in having among his subjects an extraordinary group of men in every area of activity. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems. In 1682 the seat of government was transferred to Versailles. Despite many victories, Louis gave up part of his territorial acquisitions when he signed the Treaty of Rijswijk, for which the public judged him harshly. Comedies, in his view, were made to be acted. Feasts of 1674, third day: "The imaginary patient", comedy represented in the garden of Versailles in front of the cave, The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island: 2nd day, May 7, 1664: representation of the ballet comedy of Molire and Lulli "The Princess of Elis" on the green theater set up in the middle of the royal alley, My argument is that there exists something admirable in man, whatever you may say, that all the philosophers cannot explain., Palacefrom 9.00 am to 5.30 pmClosed on Mondays, Estate of Trianonfrom 12.00 pm to 5.30 pmClosed on Mondays, + 33 1 30 83 78 00price of a call to France. WebDuring these 12 years he polished his skills as actor, director, administrator, and playwright. Molire meurt la suite d'une reprsentation du Malade Imaginaire. He appeared at the Louvre for the first time in 1658, performing The Doctor in Love for the young Louis XIV. Holbrook Blinn's acting was admirable, but the royal neck was too short for the regicide in Broun. Many words or phrases introduced in Molire's plays are still used in current French: Molire plays a small part in Alexandre Dumas's novel The Vicomte of Bragelonne, in which he is seen taking inspiration from the muskeeter Porthos for his central character in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme. WebXIV (16381715) in 1658, it was Molire's comedy, Le Docteur amoureux , 1664 Molire was invited to perform Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, an attack on religious hypocrisy, for Louis XIV at Versailles, France. Molire suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, possibly contracted when he was imprisoned for debt as a young man. ", a reference to the infant's large nose. In 1670, he wrote The Bourgeois Gentleman a comedy ballet for which Lully composed the music, including the well-known Marche pour la crmonie des Turcs (March for the ceremony of the Turks). [6], The sets were by Lee Simonson; the costumes by Rollo Peters, made by Mme. Colinge an old actor, with Molire since the beginning. Though conventional thinkers, religious leaders and medical professionals in Molire's time criticised his work, their ideas did not really diminish his widespread success with the public. At the same time, great changes were occurring in his private life. Landolt describes how Molieres comedy, Le Tartuffe, which portrays religious hypocrisy, involved him in troubles with devout persons at Court and with his patron, Louis XIV. WebMoliere and Louis XIV R.B. The king, demonstrating his protection once again, became the new official sponsor of Molire's troupe. Both this work and his marriage attracted much criticism. Dinosaures : mais quoi pouvaient bien servir ces tranges griffes ? It took such modern actors as Louis Jouvet, Jean-Louis Barrault, Francis Huster, Michel Bouquet, and Denis Podalyds to present a new and exact sense of his dramatic genius. Max Size, 2827 x 1600px JPG, Size: 2.5 MB. [fn 1] It was a great success, and it led to his last work (see below), which is still held in high esteem. It apparently was a success and secured the favour of the kings brother Philippe, duc dOrlans. They were met with public outcry and were suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church. 20th-century scholars have carried on this interest in Molire and his plays and have continued to study a wide array of issues relating to this playwright. Such failures were rare and eclipsed by successes greater than the Paris theatre had known. La Forest a sixty-eight-year-old woman, cook and friend to Molire. WebMoliere and Louis XIV R.B. He appeared at the Louvre for the first time in 1658, performing The Doctor in Love for the young Louis XIV. [12] He lost his mother when he was 10,[13] and he does not seem to have been particularly close to his father. |Source = |Permission = |Other versions = }} {{Cr. Estelle Winwood, Forrest Robinson, and Sidney Herbert were also reported in early February 1919 to have been signed by Henry Miller. Though living in an age of reason, he had the good sense not to proselytize but rather to animate the absurd, as in such masterpieces as Tartuffe, Lcole des femmes, Le Misanthrope, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, and many others. The Sun King was at his zenith. Tartuffe, ou L'Imposteur was also performed at Versailles, in 1664, and created the greatest scandal of Molire's artistic career. In 1660 the Petit-Bourbon was demolished to make way for the eastern expansion of the Louvre, but Molire's company was allowed to move into the abandoned theatre in the east wing of the Palais-Royal. Fortunately, he was dead wrong. Later, he was granted the use of the theatre in the Palais-Royal. [6], Through the patronage of aristocrats including Philippe I, Duke of Orlansthe brother of Louis XIVMolire procured a command performance before the King at the Louvre. A so-called parti des Dvots arose in French high society, who protested against Molire's excessive "realism" and irreverence, which were causing some embarrassment. This was Le Docteur amoureux (The Amorous Doctor); whether it was in the form still extant is doubtful. With Lully he again used music for Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, for Les Amants magnifiques, and finally for Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (The Middle Class Gentleman), another of his masterpieces. [8] His hard work in so many theatrical capacities took its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. His mother died when he was 10 years old; his father, one of the appointed furnishers of the royal household, gave him a good education at the Collge de Clermont (the school that, as the Lyce Louis-le-Grand, was to train so many brilliant Frenchmen, including Voltaire). Molire's study in his theatre in the Palais-Royal; about 4pm on February 17, 1673. However, they made a crucial mistake by performing a tragedy instead of one of their popular comedies. Louis XIV was not wrong, as some have claimed, to remove himself from unhealthful and tumultuous Paris, but he erred in breaking with the wandering tradition of his ancestors. It was in competition for the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1978. The king had openly renounced pleasure, but the sacrifice was made easier for him by his new favourite, the very pious Mme de Maintenon. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents, medium QS:P186,Q296955;P186,Q106857709,P518,Q861259. The troupe failed to become established in Paris, so Molire and his fellow actors decided to join Charles Dufresnes travelling company. Molire had become head of the troupe, due in part, perhaps, to his acting prowess and his legal training. So far he had followed his father's plans, which had served him well; he had mingled with nobility at the Collge de Clermont and seemed destined for a career in office. Molire, original name Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, (baptized January 15, 1622, Paris, Francedied February 17, 1673, Paris), French actor and playwright, the greatest of all writers of French comedy. Les Femmes savantes (The Learned Ladies) of 1672 is considered another of Molire's masterpieces. This page was last edited on 25 October 2022, at 06:03. Having turned his back on a career in the law, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin decided to become an actor instead and founded the Illustre-Thtre in 1643. Freisinger; incidental music was composed by Cassius Freeborn. He is the author of enduring plays such as Tartuffe and Le Misanthrope. Molire came of age as France was emerging into its Grand Sicle (Great Century). This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. Pourquoi LouisXIV sest-il install Versailles? At the time he was wrapped up with staging the first Theatre Guild productions. Quelles taient donc ses relations avec Molire. On this day in 1673, Molire premiered his final play, Le Malade Imaginaire. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1928. Almost alone he had defeated a formidable coalition (Spain and the Holy Roman emperor had joined the Dutch against him) and dictated terms to the enemy. The truth is that there is little information except legend and satire. His son assumed the same posts in 1641. It was a strict academic environment, but with its emphasis on theatre and performing, it was Supporting [ edit] Baron a seventeen year old member of Molire's company. It is claimed to be particularly directed against Colbert, the minister who had condemned his old patron Fouquet. He had extended the frontier of France in the north by annexing part of Flanders and in the east by seizing Lorraine and Franche-Comt. [10] Broun was enthusiastic only about Blanche Bates' performance. The King was enchanted, finding it all highly amusing; but, on the advice of the Archbishop of Paris, Mgr. He has been strongly criticized for his decision, but he had no alternative. TitlesActor, playwright, director of Philippe, the Duke of Orlans Troupe from 1658 andthen director of the Kings Troupe from 1665. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Between 7 and 13 May 1664, Molire took part in The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island. As was common at the time, the role was played in, This was very unusual; most Broadway touring itineraries started with Chicago or other large midwestern cities. Molire, original name Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, (baptized January 15, 1622, Paris, Francedied February 17, 1673, Paris), French actor and playwright, the greatest of all writers of French comedy. WebXIV (16381715) in 1658, it was Molire's comedy, Le Docteur amoureux , 1664 Molire was invited to perform Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, an attack on religious hypocrisy, for Louis XIV at Versailles, France. In 1672, Madeleine Bjart died, and Molire suffered from this loss and from the worsening of his own illness. Few plays survive from this period. "Author of some of the finest comedies in the history of the theater", and Roy, p. 756. Louis XIV, Molire Date 1862 date QS:P571,+1862-00-00T00:00:00Z/9 Medium oilon panel medium QS:P186,Q296955;P186,Q106857709,P518,Q861259 The King finally imposed respect for Tartuffe a few years later, after he had gained more power over the clergy. It poked fun at the limited education that was given to daughters of rich families and reflected Molire's own marriage. Although unquestionably a great writer, Molire insisted that his plays were made for the stage, and his early prefaces complain that he had to publish to avoid exploitation. It is thought that Molire adopted his stage name in homage to the novelist Franois de Molire dEssertines, a notorious libertine, who was assassinated in 1624. Two other comedies of the same year were the successful L'cole des maris (The School for Husbands) and Les Fcheux (The Bores), subtitled Comdie faite pour les divertissements du Roi (a comedy for the King's amusements) because it was performed during a series of parties that Nicolas Fouquet gave in honor of the sovereign. Copyright 2023 History Today Ltd. Company no. The spelling of this name in theatre programs, newspapers, and even in the published text varied between the form shown and "De Lauzon". Moliere was the alias of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, born in 1622 to a upholsterer who served the royal household. But it was a commercial flop, forcing Molire to immediately write Le mdecin malgr lui (The Doctor Despite Himself), a satire against the official sciences. His mother had inculcated in him a narrow and simplistic religion, and he understood nothing of the Reformation. However, during the French Restoration of the 19th century, Molire's comedies became popular with both the French public and the critics. Landolt describes how Molieres comedy, Le Tartuffe, which portrays religious hypocrisy, involved him in troubles with devout persons at Court and with his patron, Louis XIV. [2] A growing problem in the theater district, Broun suggested legal curtailment of the horns even if at the expense of a few pedestrians: "After all, there are so many people and so few good plays". (2,827 1,600 pixels, file size: 1.52 MB, MIME type: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/, Fine Arts: PICTURES ON EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK. The first two acts have a single scene, while the third has a curtain drop to signal the passage of two hours time. [2] John Corbin pointed out Molire's unsatisfied ambition to appear in a drama had now been fulfilled by Moeller's play. These entertainments led Jean-Baptiste Colbert to demand the arrest of Fouquet for wasting public money, and he was condemned to life imprisonment.[20]. Webpris des arts et des lettres, le souverain Louis XIV s'est montr protecteur de Molire dont l'uvre n'tait pas sans dplaire l'glise. In 1667 he invaded the Spanish Netherlands, which he regarded as his wifes inheritance, thus beginning a series of wars that lasted for a good part of his reign. Marie Cress died on 11 May 1632 (Gaines 2002, p. xi). Molire's works were translated into English prose by John Ozell in 1714,[27] but the first complete version in English, by Baker and Miller in 1739, remained "influential" and was long reprinted. WebThis was the first grand party given in Versailles by Louis XIV, and was also the first time, under the aegis of the king, that Molire and Lully collaborated. It is now widely regarded as Molire's most refined masterpiece, the one with the highest moral content, but it was little appreciated at its time. WebLouis XIV was not wrong, as some have claimed, to remove himself from unhealthful and tumultuous Paris, but he erred in breaking with the wandering tradition of his ancestors. Some of these farces were only partly written, and were played in the style of Commedia dell'arte with improvisation over a canovaccio (a vague plot outline). The Petit-Bourbon was demolished (apparently without notice), and the company moved early in 1661 to a hall in the Palais-Royal, built as a theatre by Richelieu. It was born from the termination of the legal use of music in theatre, since Lully had patented the opera in France (and taken most of the best available singers for his own performances), so Molire had to go back to his traditional genre. Manufacturers, the navy and merchant marine, a modern police organization, roads, ports, and canals all emerged at about the same time. It is likely that his education commenced with studies at a Parisian elementary school,[14] followed by his enrolment in the prestigious Jesuit Collge de Clermont, where he completed his studies in a strict academic environment and got a first taste of life on the stage.[15]. WebLouis XIV and Molire (1862) Jean-Lon Grme (French, 1824-1904) Facebook Twitter Pinterest. In Lyon, Mademoiselle Du Parc, known as Marquise, joined the company. Mme si l'glise voit d'un trs mauvais ilil les comdiens, LouisXIV prend leur dfense et leur alloue parfois des bourses et des salles o ils peuvent se produire. When he refuses out of loyalty to the king and love for his wife, she shows him the latter dallying in the garden beneath the balcony. The King was under pressure from thedvotparty, which had a powerful ally in his Spanish mother, Anne of Austria, the most devoutly orthodox Catholic at Court. Webpris des arts et des lettres, le souverain Louis XIV s'est montr protecteur de Molire dont l'uvre n'tait pas sans dplaire l'glise. "[30], [Molire] has been accused of not having a consistent, organic style, of using faulty grammar, of mixing his metaphors, and of using unnecessary words for the purpose of filling out his lines. Little remains of his splendid palaces at Saint-Germain and Marly, but Versaillescursed as extravagant even as it was under construction and accused of having ruined the nationstill stands. In his memoir A Terrible Liar, actor Hume Cronyn writes that, in 1962, celebrated actor Laurence Olivier criticized Molire. It describes the story of an atheist who becomes a religious hypocrite and, for this, is punished by God. WebIn 1658, Louis XIV granted Molires acting company permission to take up residence in the Petit-Bourbon palace after the company had been touring the provinces for thirteen years, for which Molire, in the preface to one of his plays, expressed gratitude. Molire has already written, The apartments of Madame de Montespan at the. Nevertheless, he wrote a successful Les Fourberies de Scapin ("Scapin's Deceits"), a farce and a comedy in five acts. Subtitles on this occasion reported that the work was given "par ordre du Roi" (by order of the king) and this work was received much more warmly than its predecessors. It is not widely known that Molires comedy Le Tartuffe existed in three versions. It is testimony to the freshness of his vision that the greatest comic artists working centuries later in other media, such as Charlie Chaplin, have been compared to Molire. The 2000 film Le Roi Danse (The King Dances), in which Molire is played by Tchky Karyo, shows his collaborations with Jean-Baptiste Lully, as well as his illness and on-stage death. Paris called him the Great. In his court he was an object of adoration, and as he approached age 40 he could view himself as far surpassing all other men. This was a success despite a moral treatise by the Prince of Conti, criticizing the theatre in general and Molire in particular. It describes a kind of round dance where two couples believe that each of their partners has been betrayed by the other's and is the first in Molire's "Jealousy series", which includes Dom Garcie de Navarre, L'cole des maris and L'cole des femmes. License: All public domain files can be freely used for personal and commercial projects. In his plays, the comic is based on a double vision that holds together opposing ideas, such as wisdom and folly or right and wrong. Cronyn comments on the incident: "You may imagine how that made me feel. [17], Despite his own preference for tragedy, which he had tried to further with the Illustre Thtre, Molire became famous for his farces, which were generally in one act and performed after the tragedy. However, they made a crucial mistake by performing a tragedy instead of one of their popular comedies. These ballets were a transitional form of dance performance between the court ballets of Louis XIV and the art of professional theatre which was developing in the advent of the use of the proscenium stage. WebLouis XIV the King of France. This article is about the French playwright. [9] A local critic thought it good that Moeller was willing to take a chance on a more serious work, though the first act was "sketchy", a mere prelude to the slender plot. Racine offered Molire his tragedy Thagne et Charicle (one of the early works he wrote after he had abandoned his theology studies), but Molire would not perform it, though he encouraged Racine to pursue his artistic career. WebLouis XIV the King of France. Download. Other playwrights and companies began to emulate his dramatic style in England and in France. In 1631, his father Jean Poquelin purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of "valet de chambre ordinaire et tapissier du Roi" ("valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery"). He finished the performance but collapsed again and died a few hours later. In 1680 the marquise de Montespan, who had replaced Mme de La Vallire as Louiss mistress in 1667, was implicated in the Affair of the Poisons, a scandal in which a number of prominent people were accused of sorcery and murder. Molire's study in his theatre in the Palais-Royal; two hours later. Molire wrote comedies for the stage. [7], Despite the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molire's satires attracted criticism from other circles. WebLouis XIV was not wrong, as some have claimed, to remove himself from unhealthful and tumultuous Paris, but he erred in breaking with the wandering tradition of his ancestors. View all 241 artworks Court Mtrage Short Films Added: 21 Dec, 2020 On 14 October 1663, in the royal residence itself, the playwright staged The Versailles Impromptu, which starred Molire as the director of one of his own works to be performed before the king. To this end he allied himself with his cousin Charles II of England and invaded the Netherlands in 1672. Armande is encouraged to visit with her secret lover De Luzon, while Mme. In 1792, his remains were brought to the museum of French monuments, and in 1817, transferred to Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, close to those of La Fontaine. With the advantage of royal patronage, Molires company began to grow in prestige. While Louis watched his buildings going up, Colbert, who supervised the construction, obtained from him the means to carry out an economic revolution aimed at making France economically self-sufficient while maximizing exports. Molire created a new kind of comedy. pris des arts et des lettres, le souverain LouisXIV s'est montrprotecteur de Molire dont l'uvre n'tait pas sans dplaire l'glise.