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French heritage: iconic artists among authors (2/3)
This sheet presents French artists. It is mainly about French authors of the 19th century.
Key points of the sheet
- Victor Hugo (1802-1885) is a major writer of French romanticism: poet, playwright and novelist. His works denounce social injustice; he deeply marked the literature and political thought of his time.
- His most famous writings are Les Misérables, Notre-Dame de Paris and Le Dernier Jour d'un condamné.
- Baudelaire (1821-1867) is a great French poet of the 19th century. He modernised poetry. In his work, he explores good and evil, beauty and ugliness, or melancholy.
- His poems first shocked, then fascinated. Today they are among the most studied and appreciated works of French literature.
- His most famous collections are Les Fleurs du Mal and Le Spleen de Paris.
- George Sand (1804-1876) is an important writer of the 19th century. She is known for her social commitment and her defence of women's rights. Her work helped to change the place of women in society and literature.
- She renewed the French novel by mixing realism and romanticism. She pays special attention to rural and working-class communities. She is the first woman to rival the male writers of her time in popularity.
- Her most famous novels are La Mare au Diable, Consuelo and Indiana.
Words to know
- romanticism (romantisme)
- Victor Hugo is a major writer of romanticism. His romantic works value emotions, imagination, nature and artistic freedom.
- melancholy (mélancolie)
- Melancholy is a great sadness. Baudelaire explores it in his work.
- Les Misérables
- It is one of Victor Hugo's most famous writings.
- Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil)
- It is one of Baudelaire's most famous collections.
- La Mare au Diable (The Devil's Pool)
- It is one of George Sand's most famous novels.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Victor Hugo is a major writer of which movement?
In French, the language of the exam: De quel mouvement Victor Hugo est-il un écrivain majeur ?
The sheet presents Victor Hugo as a major writer of French romanticism.
Which collection of poems is by Baudelaire?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel recueil de poèmes est de Baudelaire ?
Les Fleurs du Mal is one of Baudelaire's most famous collections.
Which novel is by George Sand?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel roman est de George Sand ?
La Mare au Diable is one of George Sand's most famous novels.
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More in this topic (Culture)
- French heritage: iconic artists among authors (3/3)
- French heritage: iconic artists among painters
- French heritage: iconic artists among sculptors
Source
Sheet “Patrimoine français : des artistes emblématiques parmi les auteurs (2/3)” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.