In his introduction to Charles Baudelaire's Salon of 1846, the
renowned art historian Michael Fried presents a new take on the French
poet and critic's ideas on art, criticism, romanticism, and the
paintings of Delacroix.
Charles Baudelaire, considered a father of modern poetry, wrote some of
the most daring and influential prose of the nineteenth century. Prior
to publishing the international bestseller Les Fleurs du mal (1857),
he was already notable as a forthright and witty critic of art and
literature. Captivated by the Salons in Paris, Baudelaire took to
writing to express his theories on modern art and art philosophy.
The Salon of 1846 expands upon the tenets of romanticism as Baudelaire
methodically takes his reader through paintings by Delacroix and Ingres,
illuminating his belief that the pursuit of the ideal must be paramount
in artistic expression. Here we also see Baudelaire caught in a
fundamental struggle with the urban commodity of capitalism developing
in Paris at that time. Baudelaire's text proves to be a useful lens for
understanding art criticism in mid-nineteenth-century France, as well as
the changing opinions regarding the essential nature of romanticism and
the artist as creative genius.
Acclaimed art historian and art critic Michael Fried's introduction
offers a new reading of Baudelaire's seminal text and highlights the
importance of his writing and its relevance to today's audience.
