La théorie de l’art pour l’art : étude généalogique d’un nouveau paradigme éthique de l’art
The aim of this study is to propose a genealogy of the theory of “l’art pour l’art”, elaborated in the historical context of Romanticism. Taking as a starting point the movement of autonomy of the Fine Arts and aesthetics of the 18th century, this research is an attempt to reconstruct the main lines of this new artistic doxa that appeared under the July Monarchy. Following the same approach of dissociation between the notions of Beauty and Good that characterized the birth of the aesthetic discipline in the Enlightenment, the theory of “l’art pour l’art” is generally recognized because of its radical rejection of all forms of morality. Yet, behind this aspect, it appears that some of its proponents have shown a very strong ethical rigour in the exercise of their art. Gustave Flaubert is definitely one of them. In his Correspondance, a complete program of a “moral of art” is deployed. Rebuilding the foundations of this program will occupy the second and final major part of this work when the first part will be largely devoted to the aesthetic thought of Karl Philipp Moritz, a character who is sometimes misunderstood. This philosophical writer undoubtedly deserves to be considered in the genesis of the ideas of the theory of “l’art pour l’art”. His autotelic conception of Beauty certainly offers one of the most radical versions of the independence of the fine arts from morality on the 18th century. Moreover, his concept of formative imitation of beauty announces the profound changes that will affect the romantic conception of the artist and the act of creation in the 19th century.
L’art pour l’art Karl Philipp Moritz Gustave Flaubert Ethics and aesthetic History of philosophy Enlightenment 19th century Romanticism Autonomy of fine arts Literature