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Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve Collection

An inventory of his items at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: LDC
Date: 21 Jan 2009

Biographical History

Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve (1804-1869) was a French literary critic and author best known for his articles in French reviews such as La Revue de Paris and La Revue des deux mondes.

Sainte-Beuve was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Département Pas-de-Calais to Augustine Coillot and Charles-François Sainte-Beuve on December 23, 1804. Because his father died three months before his birth, Sainte-Beuve was raised by his mother and aunt, Marie-Thérèse Cormier. He attended the Collège Charlemagne from 1818 to 1821 where he studied Greek and then the Collège Bourbon from 1821 to 1823. While at the Collège Bourbon, he also studied French, English, and German Romantic literature, as well as chemistry and physiology. After graduating in 1823, Sainte-Beuve enrolled as a medical student at the Hôspital Saint-Louis.

In 1824, Sainte-Beuve began writing for a literary review, Le Globe. He reviewed Victor Hugo's revised Odes et Ballades in 1827. This review led to his admission into Hugo's household and membership in La Cénacle. This was the start of a successful career. Sainte-Beuve was appointed conservateur at the Bibliotèque Mazarine in 1840 and was elected into the Académie Française in 1844. He was also awarded the cross of the Légion d'honneur in 1852 and was appointed to the post of sénateur by Napoleon III.

Sainte-Beuve died on October 13, 1869 at the height of his career.

1829 Vie, poésies, et pensées de Joseph Delorme (Life and Poems of Joseph Delorme)
1830 Les Consolations
1834 Volupté (Voluptuousness)
1836–46 Critiques et portraits littéraires (Literary Portraits and Critical Essays)
1837 Pensées d'août (Thoughts of August)
1840–59 Port-Royal
1844 Portraits de femmes (Portraits of Women)
1846 Portraits contemporains (Contemporary Portraits)
1851–2 Causeries du lundi (Monday Chats)
1861 Chateaubriand et son groupe littéraire sous l'Empire (Chateaubriand and his Literary Set)

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve Collection consists of correspondence and writings.

Correspondence contains nineteen letters to Antonia de Vaquez, one letter from de Vaquez to her mother, and one letter from Thomas de Vaquez to Sainte-Beuve are housed in a single bound volume. The only letter not in this volume is the one from Sainte-Beuve to friends.

Writings contains a bound volume of corrected proofs for articles written by Sainte-Beuve for the Le Constitutional.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection contains two series: Correspondence and Writings. Correspondence is then divided into three subseries: Incoming correspondence, Outgoing correspondence, and To and from others.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Sainte-Beuve, Charles Augustin, 1804-1969.

Subjects

Authors, French.
French literature -- History and criticism.

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Proofs.

Occupations

Authors.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve Collection
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Writings

Inventory