Gustave Flaubert, Deauville, Calvados (44)

In 1837 the family of Gustave Flaubert (1821-80) bought La Ferme du Coteau and the land on which the Villa Strassburger now stands. Flaubert inherited the property on his mother's death in 1872 and re-sold it in 1875.

Gustave Flaubert, Trouville-sur-Mer, Calvados (14)

Trouville-sur-Mer obviously believes that the town had a great influence on the writings of Flaubert (1821-80). A plaque on this statue states that it was here that he met Elisa Schlesinger, for whom he had a burning passion and who became his muse. His look here is turned towards Elisa's second floor window of the Hôtel Bellevue, although the hotel has now gone. Léopold Bernstamm made the statue.

Anne Fontaine's Gemma Bovery (2014)

 

Some of Gemma Bovery (adapted from Posy Simmonds' graphic novel, as was Tamara Drewe) is filmed in Lyons-la-Forêt, which is in Normandy, which is where academic Martin Joubert (Fabrice Luchini) moves to with his wife Valérie (Isabelle Candelier) to continue his late father's bakery business. But he can't forget books and he's just as crazed by them as Don Quixote or, er, Emma Bovary. And then the English couple Charles Bovery (only one vowel change) and Gemma Bovery (a consonant extra as well as the changed vowel) move opposite the Joubert house.

Martin is eager to please in every way, although he's more than a shade too old to please Emma sexually: Hervé de Bressigny, younger than Gemma, will satisfy that need. And as the dogs sniff around each other, the smitten Martin sniffs around Gemma, spying on the couple. He's given her an English copy of Flaubert's Madame Bovary to read, warning her that her activities will lead to death: he's particularly concerned about the arsenic she uses for the mice.

Inevitably, Gemma dies and Martin assumes it's arsenic. But he's wrong: she's choked on a piece of his bread.

And so Charles packs his bags but someones else moves in. A Russian girl? But she speaks perfect French! Ah, has she read Anna Karenina? Martin is at it again.

Conclusion? A personal one: you can't watch experimental, 'art house' (much as I hate the expression) movies all the time!

Promenade Littéraire #2: Gustave Flaubert, Le Havre, Seine-Maritime (76)

#2, Gustave Flaubert (1821-80), is also on Boulevard Albert 1^er. The quotation is from Bouvard et Péchuchet, the main characters who visit Le Havre and see the cliffs and the lighthouses of La Hève (destroyed in 1944).

Gustave Flaubert and Georges Jeanclos in the 5th arrondissement, Paris

Le square René-Viviani.

 

'GEORGES JEANCLOS

FONTAINE SAINT JULIEN LE PAUVRE

LA FONTAINE SAINT JULIEN A ÉTÉ COMMANDÉ EN 1995 PAR LA VILLE DE PARIS AU SCULPTEUR GEORGES JEANCLOS, NÉ À PARIS EN 1933. ELLE REMPLACE UNE FONTAINE WALLACE.

JEANCLOS S'EST INSPIRÉ DE L'HISTOIRE DE SAINT JULIEN LE PAUVRE OU L'HOSPITALIER QUI EST AUSSI LE SAINT PATRON DE L'ÉGLISE VOISINE. SA LÉGENDE A ÉTÉ POPULARISÉ AU MOYEN-ÂGE PAR LA LÉGENDE DORÉE PUIS PAR LA NOUVELLE DE GUSTAVE FLAUBERT, PUBLIÉE DANS "LES TROIS CONTES", EN 1877.

JEANCLOS A PUISÉ LIBREMENT DANS LE RÉCIT:

"LES THÈMES ÉVOQUÉS PAR LE CONTE: LA FORÊT, LA CHASSE, LE RAPPORT AU CORPS DE L'AUTRE – CORPS MEURTRI, CORPS RADIEUX – AINSI QUE LA PRÉSENCE DU FLEUVE ET LE RÔLE DU PASSEUR, ONT ÉTÉ LES FERMENTS DE MON TRAVAIL.

LES TROIS GROUPES SITUÉS AUX ANGLES DE LA FONTAINE SONT LÀ POUR EXPRIMER L'ACTION DE SOUTENIR ET PORTER LE CORPS DE L'AUTRE DANS UN ACTE DE TENDRESSE ET DE COMPASSION, AINSI  QU'IL EST ÉCRIT DANS L'HISTOIRE DE SAINT JULIEN L'HOSPITALIER.

LES COUPLES QUI S'ÉLÈVENT AU-DESSUS D'EUX, SONT LEURS ENFANTS QUI S'AVANCENT VERS UN MONDE MEILLEUR. TROIS TÉTES DE CERF, D'OÙ S'ÉCOULENT DES FILETS D'EAU POTABLE, SERVIRONT À DÉSALTÉRER LES PASSANTS VENUS DU MONDE ENTIER".

GEORGES JEANCLOS, LE 10 JUILLET 1995'

My translation:

 

'GEORGES JEANCLOS

 

THE FOUNTAIN OF ST JULIAN THE POOR

IN 1995 THE TOWN OF PARIS COMMISSIONED GEORGES JEANCLOS – BORN IN PARIS IN 1933 – TO SCULPT THE FOUNTAIN OF SAINT JULIAN THE POOR. IT REPLACES A WALLACE FOUNTAIN.

JEANCLOS WAS INSPIRED BY 'THE STORY OF SAINT JULIAN THE POOR, OR THE HOSPITALLER', WHO IS ALSO THE PATRON SAINT OF THE NEIGHBOURING CHURCH. HIS LEGEND  WAS POPULARISED IN THE MIDDLE AGES BY THE GOLDEN LEGEND, THEN BY GUSTAVE FLAUBERT'S SHORT STORY, PUBLISHED IN "THE THREE TALES", IN 1877.

JEANCLOS BORROWED FREELY FROM FLAUBERT'S STORY:

"THE THEMES EVOKED IN THE STORY: THE FOREST, THE HUNT, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE OTHER – WRECKED BODY, RADIANT BODY – AS WELL AS THE PRESENCE OF THE RIVER AND THE ROLE OF THE FERRYMAN, HAVE GIVEN MY WORK ITS POWER.

THE THREE GROUPS AT THE CORNERS OF THE FOUNTAIN ARE THERE TO EXPRESS THE ACTION OF SUPPORT IN CARRYING THE BODIES OF THE OTHER IN AN ACT OF LOVE, TENDERNESS AND COMPASSION. JUST AS IN SAINT JULIAN THE HOSPITALLIER.

THE COUPLES RISING ABOVE THEM ARE THEIR CHILDREN MOVING TOWARDS A BETTER WORLD. THERE ARE THREE STAGS' HEADS, FROM WHICH FLOW TRICKLES OF DRINKING WATER, WHICH WILL SERVE TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF PASSERSBY FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD."

(GEORGES DUCLOS, 10 JULY 1995)'

 

The fountain: