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Arthur Breisky and Oscar Wilde: Criticism, Mask, Mystification
Bláhová, Šárka ; Doležalová, Lucie (advisor) ; Alt, Jaroslav (referee)
The thesis is devoted to the following two representatives of literal decadence, Oscar Wilde, British dramatist, prose writer, poet and essayist, and Arthur Breisky, Czech prose writer, literary critic and translator. The thesis opens with providing a basic insight into the life and work of both authors. They were both influenced by decadence, which was not only an artistic trend, but also a specific spirit of the time that was reflected in the psychological and social roots and opinions of both authors. The thesis works with the basic assumption that the Czech decadent Breisky was significantly influenced by Wilde in his opinions and activities. The thesis sets up three areas to explore that mingle and influence each other: criticism, masque and mystification. The main similarities between Wilde and Breisky are analyzed in the thesis. Based on the comparison of individual motives, it is possible to trace how Breisky builds on Wilde's ideas and what, on the other hand, he invents newly or differently. Apart from the comparison of both authors, the thesis also provides a comprehensive overview of Breisky's opinions on literature and art at the theoretical level. Key words: Arthur Breisky, Oscar Wilde, decadence, critique, art, masque, mystification, dandysm
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The myth of Orpheus in the poetry of the 19th and 20th century
Jupová, Andrea ; Jamek, Václav (advisor) ; Voldřichová - Beránková, Eva (referee)
This bachelor thesis The myth of Orpheus in the french poetry of 19th and 20th century deals with the mythological references left in the work of significant authors of the modern French poetry. In the first part of the thesis, the Pre-literary and literary versions of the ancient myth of Orpheus are mentioned. We are focusing on the writings of Ovid and Virgil which are analysed. In the following chapters of the second part, constituent motifs are looked up in works of chosen authors from the period of romanticism to the forties of 20th century in connection with particular literary context. The specifical usage of the myth and his changes are observed and described. In the third part; all authors' adaptations are compared also with indication the importance of ancient mythology in the modern literature.
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Huysmans's À rebours as A Parody of The « Experimental Novel » ?
Krausová, Eliška ; Voldřichová - Beránková, Eva (advisor) ; Pohorský, Aleš (referee)
The aim of the bachelor thesis Huysman's Naruby, as a parody of Experimentalního románu, is an attempt to consult Huyman's novel Naruby not only as a source of decadent symbols but also as a critical and parodying work with which its author tries completing his separation from "the father of Naturalism", Emil Zola. Particularly from Zola's notion of naturalism described in a literary critical work Experimentální román. At first the work is concerned with Experimentální román and tries to delimit the basic principles of naturalism which are defined there. Moreover, there is also a short introduction of Joris Karl Huysmans, especially from a creative development point of view, as well as an outline of the relationship between him and Emile Zola. The next chapter is dealing with an analysis of the novel Naruby itself and with searching for potential parodying aspects, namely from the perspective of smaller units, such as a conception of the space and time or perception of reality. In the end, the work points to mutual contradiction in terms by both authors, especially Zola's tendency to decadent aesthetics in the late works.
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Death as an artifact: aesthetisation of death in works of Georges Rodenbach and Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic
Zvoníčková, Michaela ; Vojvodík, Josef (advisor) ; Hrdlička, Josef (referee)
The aim of the submitted thesis is a comparison of symbolism of a double in Georges Rodenbach's Bruges-la-Morte and Romány tří mágů of Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic. We will focus maily on death as a key motif of literature at the fin de siècle and a motif that is, in works we are examining, closely linked with the existence of a double. We will inspect motif of a double in the context of psychological states of mind. The choice of compared texts was motivated by the process of self disintegration. The process of self disintegration is closely connected with the process of depersonalisation which appears when a subject makes contact with a soulful space or a object. Cities (Bruges, Venice, Prague) which are the scene of this self disintegration take a special place in the literature of symbolism as a urban space of art and death at once. Despite mutual relation of life and art, the strange tension, and the phenomenon of annihilation, is still present within this relation.
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Imaginary Orientalism of Gustave Moreau in the Context of 19th Century Orientalism and Symbolism
Domincová, Eliška ; Prahl, Roman (advisor) ; Wittlich, Petr (referee)
The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to analyze the orientalist artwork of French painter Gustave Moreau in a context of orientalism and symbolism in the second half of the 19th century. The thesis focuses on comparing the representation of Orient in Moreau's art and its representation in painting in general, in particular in academic orientalism. Stylistic and thematic differences between traditional academic orientalism and the innovative approach of Gustave Moreau to the similar oriental subjects are examined. It also explores the position of Moreau's art in symbolist movement and his influence hereon. The core research method used in the thesis is studying the works of art mentioned in it and their analysis from iconographic, iconological and semiotic points of view. The author also examines primary textual sources (mainly artist's own thinking about art) and secondary literature concerning the life and art of Gustave Moreau, orientalism and its political context, and works on symbolism. The thesis consists of two parts. Part 1 deals with Moreau's orientalist art work within the frame of French orientalism of the second half of the 19th century, and it points out differences between Moreau's imaginary orientalism and the traditional academic orientalism. Chapter 1.1 describes the social and...
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Myth of Narcissus in French literature at the turn of the 20th Century
Kučerová, Magdalena ; Pohorský, Aleš (advisor) ; Pechar, Jiří (referee) ; Jamek, Václav (referee)
Mgr. Magdalena Kučerová Dissertation work: Myth of Narcissus in French literature at the turn of the 20th century ABSTRACT: This dissertation thesis based on knowledge of French myth criticism deals with the issue of myths in literature, which is a specific manifestation of human symbolic imagination. In its most general level the work studies the definition of a myth and its social function as well as the matter of opposite notions regarding to the mythos and logos, which have gradually more and more differentiated along with the development of European thinking. The myth of Narcissus has probably been one of the oldest myths in European culture. In its most renowned and most comprehensive form, the myth first appeared in the third book of Metamorphoses by Ovid, which has served as an inspiration for remakes by many later authors. The story of a young man who fell in love with his own reflection on the surface of the water contains a great variety of semantically strong structures (mainly the motifs of a mirror, narcissistic love, passively superior character of a hero, or the final metamorphoses into a flower), which are analysed in this study. The author of this study outlines the interpretational evolution of the myth of Narcissus in French literary history...
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Emanuel Hauner's conversion and reconversion at the fin de siècle
Semsch, Alžběta ; Vojtěch, Daniel (advisor) ; Merhaut, Luboš (referee)
The goal of the final thesis Emanuel Hauner's conversion and reconversion at the fin de siècle is to introduce and to interpret Emanuel Hauner's major poetic works, which have been so far neglected by the Czech literary history. My goal was to analyze the reasons of refusal of his works by both readers and critics. To make this analysis precise, it was necessary to take a close look at two phenomena appearing in Hauner's work: stylization and epigonism. The second major goal of this thesis was to answer the question of how Hauner's relation to occultism and Catholicism influenced his works. I was looking for other European authors that, similarly to Hauner, converted to Catholicism and in some parts of their lives had affinity for occultism. I have thus put Hauner's work both in the context of work of authors in whose work the conversion to Catholicism played a major role, and in the context of the artistic criteria of his time. Keywords: Catholicism, Czech literature, decadence, Emanuel Hauner, epigonism, fin de siècle, martinism, occultism, Rudolf Steiner, stylization, Sursum, theosophy
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Fin-de-siècle Elements in Flann O'Brien's Novel The Third Policeman
Brymová, Petra ; Pilný, Ondřej (advisor) ; Wallace, Clare (referee)
This thesis concerns the similarities between Flann O'Brien's novel The Third Policeman and fin-de-siècle literature, more specifically decadent literature and literature of the early avant-garde. The fact that, apart from metafiction, O'Brien's novel does not deal with aesthetics (neither when it comes to the form nor when it comes to the topic) does not invalidate the presence of fin-de-siècle elements or strategies in it; the elements only change and thus adapt to their new environment. Many of them become ironic, other ones actively contribute to the metafictional scope of the novel. The first chapter explains the parallels between The Third Policeman and fin- de-siècle literature in general. It concentrates primarily on decadent literature and its central theme of "unnaturalness." Unnaturalness occurs in variegated forms, such as artifice, artificiality or make-believe. Unnaturalness can be detected also in the protagonists themselves and even (in compliance with the metafiction of the novel) in the form of O'Brien's hellish world where the narrator finds himself. Discovering and experiencing various forms of unnaturalness go hand in hand with sense perception which is what the chapter also refers to - The Third Policeman remarkably reflects descriptions of sense experiences known from...
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Fairy-tale in the work of Václav Tille - Říha
Vlčková, Barbora ; Šmahelová, Hana (advisor) ; Merhaut, Luboš (referee)
Fairy-tale in the works of Václav Tille-Říha thesis is based on an analysis and an interpretation of Tille's fairy-tale writings and symbolist stories considering the means of developing symbolist poetics on an outline of a folklore fairy-tale. The target of this thesis is to grasp the function of fairy-tale features in Václav Tille's works which emerged from the intersection of literary adaptation of traditional folklore subjects with symbolist creation. The opening chapter deals with the historical context of Tille's works and its folklorist and literary aspects. The work aim, through the works of Václav Tille, to express a wider framework within the context of symbolist writing and Art Noveau fine arts.
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Félicien Rops in the Context of His Work and Time
Půtová, Barbora ; Wittlich, Petr (advisor) ; Urban, Otto (referee) ; Prahl, Roman (referee)
Félicien Rops in the context his works and time is a dissertation thesis dedicated to the life and work of one of the most important representatives of artistic decadence and symbolism of the 19th century. Félicien Rops (1833-1898) was a Belgian graphic artist, illustrator and painter, whose artwork significantly influenced how the sensual beauty of the female body, human sexuality and the darker sides of the human soul were interpreted. The dissertation thesis systematically describes and analytically interprets Rops's life and work in historical, social and cultural context. The first part of the dissertation thesis discusses the early phase of Rops's life, mentions his childhood, schooling and the beginnings of artwork from his time in Brussels until his arrival in Paris. Here I focus mainly on Rops's activities in art circles, his attempts at raising the status of Belgian art within the wider European movement and his activity related to founding satirical periodicals. This phase of Rops's life was defined by his political and social caricaturist work, and was heavily influenced by Flemish tradition and French modern art. I cannot omit Rops's landscape-painting and following the tradition of Flemish and Dutch painting. Special attention is paid to Rops's relation to travelling, sports and...
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