Champfleury, 1821-1889

Champfleury (1821–1889) was a French writer and art critic, born Jules François Félix Husson. He is often regarded as one of the earliest critics to advocate realism in literature systematically, and he influenced nineteenth-century French literary and artistic taste. Three of his works are held here, spanning quite different subjects: Histoire de la caricature au moyen âge et sous la renaissance examines the historical development of caricature as a form of visual satire; Les chats: Histoire Moeurs Observations Anecdotes gathers observations and anecdotes about cats in an essayistic manner; and Richard Wagner shows his attention to contemporary music and drama. Overall, his writing combines historical documentation with the pleasures of the essay, often bringing meticulous scholarship to popular subjects. Because public information is limited, details of his life and career cannot be stated with certainty; the above introduction is based solely on the works held here.