Balzac's Belles-Noiseuses: Troublemaking Bodies in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu

Madeleine Wolf

Balzac's Belles-Noiseuses: Troublemaking Bodies in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu

Madeleine Wolf

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This paper examines the female body in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu in relation to the title of Frenhofer’s painting, La Belle-Noiseuse, which Balzac added in 1837 but then removed from the final 1847 publication. Arguing that there is not one Belle-Noiseuse but two, the paper claims that this title reflects the role of women as troublemakers in the text. Their unruly, troublemaking bodies thwart Frenhofer’s genius, frustrate the narrative, and provide a new theory of creativity based on conflict.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	115-129
Journal	The Balzac Review
Issue number	3
State	Published - 2020

Keywords

nineteenth-century French literature
Balzac
Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu
La Belle-Noiseuse
trouble
female body
creativity

Access to Document

https://classiques-garnier.com/the-balzac-review-revue-balzac-2020-n-3-le-corps-the-body-balzac-s-belles-noiseuses-en.html

Cite this

@article{de196a6540b145b284a0283a1f35d186,

title = "Balzac's Belles-Noiseuses: Troublemaking Bodies in Le Chef-d{\textquoteright}{\oe}uvre inconnu",

abstract = "This paper examines the female body in Le Chef-d{\textquoteright}{\oe}uvre inconnu in relation to the title of Frenhofer{\textquoteright}s painting, La Belle-Noiseuse, which Balzac added in 1837 but then removed from the final 1847 publication. Arguing that there is not one Belle-Noiseuse but two, the paper claims that this title reflects the role of women as troublemakers in the text. Their unruly, troublemaking bodies thwart Frenhofer{\textquoteright}s genius, frustrate the narrative, and provide a new theory of creativity based on conflict.",

keywords = "nineteenth-century French literature, Balzac, Le Chef-d'{\oe}uvre inconnu, La Belle-Noiseuse, trouble, female body, creativity",

author = "Madeleine Wolf",

year = "2020",

language = "English (US)",

pages = "115--129",

journal = "The Balzac Review",

issn = "2646-2044",

publisher = "Editions Classiques Garnier",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Balzac's Belles-Noiseuses

T2 - Troublemaking Bodies in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu

AU - Wolf, Madeleine

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - This paper examines the female body in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu in relation to the title of Frenhofer’s painting, La Belle-Noiseuse, which Balzac added in 1837 but then removed from the final 1847 publication. Arguing that there is not one Belle-Noiseuse but two, the paper claims that this title reflects the role of women as troublemakers in the text. Their unruly, troublemaking bodies thwart Frenhofer’s genius, frustrate the narrative, and provide a new theory of creativity based on conflict.

AB - This paper examines the female body in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu in relation to the title of Frenhofer’s painting, La Belle-Noiseuse, which Balzac added in 1837 but then removed from the final 1847 publication. Arguing that there is not one Belle-Noiseuse but two, the paper claims that this title reflects the role of women as troublemakers in the text. Their unruly, troublemaking bodies thwart Frenhofer’s genius, frustrate the narrative, and provide a new theory of creativity based on conflict.

KW - nineteenth-century French literature

KW - Balzac

KW - Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu

KW - La Belle-Noiseuse

KW - trouble

KW - female body

KW - creativity

M3 - Article

SN - 2646-2044

SP - 115

EP - 129

JO - The Balzac Review

JF - The Balzac Review

IS - 3

ER -

Balzac's Belles-Noiseuses: Troublemaking Bodies in Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this