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European Aestheticism and Spanish American Modernismo This page intentionally left blank European Aestheticism and Spanish American Modernismo Artist Protagonists and the Philosophy of Art for Art’s Sake Kelly Comfort Palgave macmillan © Kelly Comfort 2011 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2011 978-0-230-27809-7 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2011 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-32589-4 DOI 10.1057/9780230307247 ISBN 978-0-230-30724-7 (eBook) This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 Contents Acknowledgments vi Introduction: Redefining the Role of Art and the Artist at the Turn of the Century 1 Part I 1 2 The Artist as Critic and Liar: The Unreal and Amoral as Art in Oscar Wilde The Artist as Creative Receptor: The Subjective Impression as Art in José Asunción Silva Part II 3 4 The Artist Avoids “Art for Life’s Sake” The Artist Protests “Art for the Market’s Sake” The Artist as Elitist Taster: The Unprofaned and Unconsumed as Art in J.-K. Huysmans The Artist as Creator Not Producer: The Unsold and Unappreciated as Art in Rubén Darío 23 25 41 57 63 73 Part III The Artist Promotes “Life for Art’s Sake” 87 5 91 The Artist as Dandy-Aesthete: The Self as Art in Oscar Wilde and Thomas Mann 6 The Artist as Dandy-Flâneur: The World as Art in Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera and Julián del Casal 115 Conclusion: Reconsidering the Relationship between Art and Life, Form and Content, Poetry and Prose 136 Notes 144 Bibliography 163 Index 172 v Acknowledgments To my husband, Diego, and my son, Adrian, I thank you for providing the perfect balance of support for and distraction from work. You make my life so joyous and complete, and no accomplishment would mean anything without the two of you to share it with. I also appreciate the constant encouragement from my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, as well as my entire family and dearest friends. The comments and suggestions of Anthony Geist proved invaluable to the successful co