Nerval, Watteau et le pèlerinage à l'île de Cythère

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that Gérard de Nerval showed a great interest in Jean Antoine Watteau, and especially in the picture of "Le Pèlerinage à l'île de Cythère". This picture evokes the nostalgia for a lost world where the arcadian happiness pervaded: that's also the subject of the novel Sylvie. Nerval, who situates his Arcadia in the Valois, claims to be the heir of Watteau. This article endeavours to examine the connection between Nerval andWatteau, a relationship which does not only concerns Sylvie, but also Les Faux Saulniers and Voyage en Orient.