DUMAS fils Alexandre (1824-1895) [AF 1874, 2e f]. - Lot 64

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  3. DUMAS fils Alexandre (1824-1895) [AF 1874, 2e f]. - Lot 64
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Lot n° 64
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DUMAS fils Alexandre (1824-1895) [AF 1874, 2e f]. - Lot 64
DUMAS fils Alexandre (1824-1895) [AF 1874, 2e f]. L.A.S. "A. Dumas f", [1889?], to Gustave CLAUDIN; 16 pages in-8 (portrait enclosed). Beautiful and long letter about the French Academy. He has read Claudin's article on the Académie Française. "The mistake one often makes is to make the whole Academy responsible for the foolishness or the biases of a fraction of the Academy momentarily more numerous than the other. It only takes one vote to pass Dupaty instead of Hugo, but those who voted that day for Dupaty were mostly voting against Hugo, which was another kind of tribute to the poet. What makes a nullity suddenly preferred by a certain dominant group as a number is that a nullity alone can have the idea of running against a man like Hugo." Dumas thinks that this should not happen anymore, now that there is more respect for real talent. But there is the weight of schools and traditions. "Let's suppose that ZOLA presents himself. It is quite obvious that a certain number of members of the Academy would not want to see him enter at any price. They would vote by turns for the first nullity who would take advantage of this hostility to pass ". He explains why BALZAC was not elected to the Academy "Balzac had many debts, in spite of this great, stubborn and superb work. The Academy could not accept that bailiffs seize the allowances of one of their colleagues or that this colleague be arrested at the door of the Institute by the guards of commerce, or that he could not come to the sessions in fear of this scandal. Complete respectability is one of the implied and sine qua non conditions for admission. Some obscure but very learned academicians render services to the Academy that the most famous ones could not, especially in the attribution of prizes... Exhibition of the Third Centenary of the Académie Française (n° 191). L'Académie française au fil des lettres, p. 242-245. A l.a.s. from Jules LACROIX (1809-1887) to Dumas fils, January 30, 1874, congratulating him for his election to the Academy is attached : " The one who did not even deign to open her door to Balzac, to Gautier, to your illustrious father, brings you her keys on a golden plate ".
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