17 June 2010

Well Said: Edmond de Goncourt

Edmond de Goncourt portrayed in an 1882 etching by French artist Félix Braquemond. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mrs. Lessing J. Rosenwald, 1987.

"I have often said to myself that if I were not a man of letters, if I had not got money, my chosen profession would have been to invent interiors for rich people. I should have loved being allowed to have given me carte blanche to work out the decor and furniture of a palace with just four walls, using what I could find from dealers, artists, modern industry, and in my own head."

So said Edmond de Goncourt (1822—1896), French man of letters and diarist extraordinaire.

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10 comments:

  1. Kare17 June, 2010 09:41

    Are you back? We missed you so!

    Kare

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  2. P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury17 June, 2010 13:10

    I love this quote and would say to Edmond- I should have loved being a man of letters. Gaye

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  3. SilenStoryteller17 June, 2010 14:27

    You're back, you're back!!!!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful surprise

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barima17 June, 2010 14:41

    As a man of letters, one would assume that he might have decent concepts for a private library, studies and easy chairs. I didn't know of him before, but I can imagine that he had a decent foundation of knowledge and experience to back up such a notion

    It's a good entry. I have similar advice offered to me now and again, but then, I'm hardly a literary fellow; merely a blogcolumnist

    It might be too pushy to ask that you reconsider your stance on your archives, but I hope that continuing down the Well Said path is on the cards

    B

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  5. Anonymous17 June, 2010 16:16

    I love the literary aspect of this blog. Based on your recommendations I recently read "The Volcano Lover" as well as the biography of Stephen Tennant. Both excellent. To read about people who devoted their lives to beauty, whether or not successful in the traditional sense, is always fascinating.

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  6. Anonymous17 June, 2010 18:45

    Welcome back! Please stay-- your fans miss you so much!

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  7. Rose C'est La Vie18 June, 2010 03:34

    I'm afraid I 'm the sort of girl who just wants to choose other people's curtains,pictures, furniture but not have to worry about organising it all.

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  8. Anonymous18 June, 2010 07:18

    What a delight to find you back, pointing out wonders and feeding us choice tidbits designed to inspire!
    Merci mille fois,
    Jennifer

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  9. Anonymous19 June, 2010 00:48

    PS, I am starting the Lees-Milne bio next. It looks really good. Welcome back. Please stay!!
    Derek

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  10. Penelope Bianchi24 June, 2010 21:23

    WELCOME BACK!! HOORAY!

    He describes my job! And I do love it!!

    Penelope

    ps sometimes I have a budget. boo.

    ReplyDelete

"An Aesthete's Lament" looks forward to your comments, whether good or ill. Personal attacks, however, will be deleted without a moment's hesitation.