Abbaye de Créteil
Encyclopedia
The Abbaye de Créteil or Abbaye group (in French : Groupe de l'Abbaye) was an utopian, artitstic and literary community founded in 1907. It was named after the Créteil
abbey
, as most gatherings took place in that suburb of Paris.
, a utopian community, founded in the fall of 1906 by the poets Georges Duhamel
and Charles Vildrac
. The inspiration for its formation was the Abbaye de Thélème, a fictional creation by Rabelais in his novel Gargantua. It was closed down by its members early in 1908.
Duhamel and Vildrac settled in Créteil
, just to the southeast of Paris
, in a house in a park-like setting along the Marne River
. Their aim was to establish a place of freedom and friendship conducive to artistic and literary creativity.
Writers of the era such as René Arcos, Henri-Martin Barzun and Alexandre Mercereau) and the painter Albert Gleizes
joined with them in their effort. Henri-Martin Barzun (father of the historian and cultural critic Jacques Barzun
) was a financial contributor to his friends at the Abbaye de Créteil.
The group had the concrete goal of creating a publishing house that would bring in sufficient income to support the Abbaye. The typographer Lucien Linard, a friend of Albert Gleizes
, furnished the printing press. From January 1907 through January 1908, some twenty books were published by the Abbaye.
Many different artists visited the community and participated to its project : the poet Pierre Jean Jouve
, the musician Albert Doyen, the illustrator Berthold Mahn, the painter Henri Doucet, Léon Balzagette, who had translated American poet Walt Whitman
's Leaves of Grass
into French, or the writer Jules Romains
, founder of unanimism
, for example.
The Abbaye attracted much interest but not much revenue and its young members found themselves forced to close their beloved Abbaye on January 28, 1908. Its publishing house survived for a while and the friends continued to get together every month for a dîner des copains (dinner of pals).
Créteil
-Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:...
abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
, as most gatherings took place in that suburb of Paris.
History
The Abbaye de Créteilgroup was a phalanstèrePhalanstère
A phalanstère was a type of building designed for an utopian community and developed in the early 19th century by Charles Fourier. Based on the idea of a phalanx, this self-contained community ideally consisted of 1500-1600 people working together for mutual benefit...
, a utopian community, founded in the fall of 1906 by the poets Georges Duhamel
Georges Duhamel
Georges Duhamel , was a French author, born in Paris. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I was attached to the French Army. In 1920, he published Confession de minuit , the first of a series featuring the anti-hero Salavin...
and Charles Vildrac
Charles Vildrac
Charles Vildrac , born "Charles Messager", was a French playwright and poet.Born in Paris, Vildrac's first poems were written when he was a teenager in the 1890s. In 1901 he published Le Verlibrisme, a defense of traditional verse...
. The inspiration for its formation was the Abbaye de Thélème, a fictional creation by Rabelais in his novel Gargantua. It was closed down by its members early in 1908.
Duhamel and Vildrac settled in Créteil
Créteil
-Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:...
, just to the southeast of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in a house in a park-like setting along the Marne River
Marne River
The Marne is a river in France, a right tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is long. The river gave its name to the départements of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne....
. Their aim was to establish a place of freedom and friendship conducive to artistic and literary creativity.
Writers of the era such as René Arcos, Henri-Martin Barzun and Alexandre Mercereau) and the painter Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes , was a French painter. Born Albert Léon Gleizes and raised in Paris, he was the son of a fabric designer who ran a large industrial design workshop...
joined with them in their effort. Henri-Martin Barzun (father of the historian and cultural critic Jacques Barzun
Jacques Barzun
Jacques Martin Barzun is a French-born American historian of ideas and culture. He has written on a wide range of topics, but is perhaps best known as a philosopher of education, his Teacher in America being a strong influence on post-WWII training of schoolteachers in the United...
) was a financial contributor to his friends at the Abbaye de Créteil.
The group had the concrete goal of creating a publishing house that would bring in sufficient income to support the Abbaye. The typographer Lucien Linard, a friend of Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes , was a French painter. Born Albert Léon Gleizes and raised in Paris, he was the son of a fabric designer who ran a large industrial design workshop...
, furnished the printing press. From January 1907 through January 1908, some twenty books were published by the Abbaye.
Many different artists visited the community and participated to its project : the poet Pierre Jean Jouve
Pierre Jean Jouve
Pierre Jean Jouve was a French writer, novelist and poet. No more info at the moment.-References:...
, the musician Albert Doyen, the illustrator Berthold Mahn, the painter Henri Doucet, Léon Balzagette, who had translated American poet Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
's Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass
Leaves of Grass is a poetry collection by the American poet Walt Whitman . Though the first edition was published in 1855, Whitman spent his entire life writing Leaves of Grass, revising it in several editions until his death...
into French, or the writer Jules Romains
Jules Romains
Jules Romains, born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule , was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement...
, founder of unanimism
Unanimism
Unanimism is a movement in French literature begun by Jules Romains in the early 1900s. It is based on ideas of collective consciousness and collective emotion, and on crowd behavior, where members of a group do or think something simultaneously...
, for example.
The Abbaye attracted much interest but not much revenue and its young members found themselves forced to close their beloved Abbaye on January 28, 1908. Its publishing house survived for a while and the friends continued to get together every month for a dîner des copains (dinner of pals).
Some works printed by the éditions de l’Abbaye
- René Arcos, La Tragédie des espaces, 1906
- Georges DuhamelGeorges DuhamelGeorges Duhamel , was a French author, born in Paris. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I was attached to the French Army. In 1920, he published Confession de minuit , the first of a series featuring the anti-hero Salavin...
, Des légendes, des batailles, 1907 - Alexandre Mercereau, Gens d’ici et d’ailleurs, 1907
- Jules RomainsJules RomainsJules Romains, born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule , was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement...
, La Vie unanime, 1909 - Charles VildracCharles VildracCharles Vildrac , born "Charles Messager", was a French playwright and poet.Born in Paris, Vildrac's first poems were written when he was a teenager in the 1890s. In 1901 he published Le Verlibrisme, a defense of traditional verse...
, Images et mirages, 1907 - Lucien Linard printed the first book of poetry by Pierre Jean JouvePierre Jean JouvePierre Jean Jouve was a French writer, novelist and poet. No more info at the moment.-References:...
, Artificiel, a fronticepiece by Albert GleizesAlbert GleizesAlbert Gleizes , was a French painter. Born Albert Léon Gleizes and raised in Paris, he was the son of a fabric designer who ran a large industrial design workshop...
, 1909.