Shop art print and framed art Table corner by Henri Fantin-Latour

Table corner by Henri Fantin-Latour: A tribute to Baudelaire and the Parnassians

The idea for this 160 × 225 cm oil on canvas, now housed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, germinated in Fantin-Latour's mind following the death of Charles Baudelaire in 1867. The artist, an admirer of the poet, wanted to pay tribute to him by gathering around his portrait literary figures who had gravitated in his orbit. The initial project evolved, the portrait of Baudelaire disappearing, and the composition refocusing on a group of Parnassian poets. The latter, advocating "art for art's sake", met regularly for literary dinners, creating a community of spirit that Fantin-Latour wanted to capture in his work. Table corner (1972) thus follows in the footsteps of the artist's group portraits, such as Hommage à Delacroix (1864) and Un atelier aux Batignolles (1870), testifying to his interest in depicting the intellectual and artistic circles of his time.

A Table corner by Henri Fantin-Latour: A snapshot of conviviality

The painting depicts eight men gathered around a table, in an intimate atmosphere. Five of them are seated, while three others stand in the background. The scene is captured on the spot, like a snapshot taken during the artists' meeting. The characters' gazes, postures and facial expressions all combine to create an impression of spontaneity and liveliness. The soft, diffused light bathes the scene in a warm atmosphere, giving the characters an almost tangible presence. The tight framing, focused on the group, reinforces the impression of intimacy and invites the viewer into the heart of this meeting.

The emblematic figures of Henri Fantin-Latour's corner table

At the center of the composition, seated side by side, are Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, figureheads of the Parnassian movement. Their presence lends the painting a strong symbolic dimension, embodying the youth and poetic revolt of the period. Surrounding them are other important figures from the literary world: Léon Valade, Ernest d'Hervilly, Camille Pelletan, Emile Blémont, Jean Aicard and Elzéar Bonnier. Each of these characters, portrayed with great physiognomic fidelity, helps create a collective portrait of the Parnassian generation.

Table corner by Henri Fantin-Latour thus offers a fascinating glimpse into the Parisian artistic and intellectual scene of the late 19th century, capturing the atmosphere of an era in full creative effervescence. In his work, he highlights the diversity of personalities that made up this group, emphasizing the individuality of each while uniting them in a single community of spirit.

Table corner by Henri Fantin-Latour: The testimony of an era

Beyond the faithful representation of the characters, Table corner is charged with strong symbolism. The table, the central element of the composition, is at the heart of the gathering and exchange of ideas, while the presence of the decanter and glasses suggests conviviality and sharing. The book held by Ernest d'Hervilly evokes intellectual work and literary creation. The painting thus transcends the simple representation of a group of poets to become a symbol of intellectual and artistic life at the end of the 19th century.

Table corner also helped establish Fantin-Latour's reputation as a portraitist of the intellectual society of his time. The work, presented at the Salon de 1872, from then on played an important role in the recognition of the Parnassian movement, immortalizing a group of poets and writers, including Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, emblematic figures of this literary movement. Even today, the painting fascinates with its harmonious composition, the strength of its portraits and the depth of its symbolism, and remains a precious testimony to a key period in French literary and artistic history.

This artwork is a painting from the modern period. It belongs to the realism style.

« Table corner » is kept at Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France.

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