Du jardin de la vue au jardin de la voix. Transformations d’un topos dans le roman du XVIIIe siècle. Le jardin formel et le jardin pittoresque dans la littérature française au siècle des Lumières

Abstract

The garden has been one of the most fascinating artistic features of the eighteenth century. In France as in England, gardening was recognized not only as a sophisticated art but also as the expression of cultural and moral values, social attitudes and political issues. Most of the French writers and philosophers – such as Rousseau and Voltaire – have discussed the importance of this art, revealing the deep connection between gardening and literature. The aim of this essay, focusing on French novels, is to follow the transformation of the garden’s image during the eighteenth century. A transformation concerning not only aesthetic models but also the evolving dynamics of its representation. Far from being just a scenario, garden plays an active role in the creation of literary characters and becomes a space reflecting crucial themes of the period.