Maison des Goncourt - Bar-sur-Seine

The two brothers, Jules and Edmond Goncourt, stayed in Bar-sur-Seine from 1834 to 1878 with their cousin Augusta Bathilde Huot de Goncourt, wife of Léonidas Labille. The house, with its small 18th century turret, is quite picturesque.

These two writers created France's most prestigious literary prize , awarded since 1903.

It is here that they record anecdotes about provincial life, including that of the millionaire Trumet , so stingy that he gave bacon rinds as shoe polish to these sons. For them, this house was a guarantee of peace and quiet with their cousin, as they wrote to Flaubert: “We vegetate to our heart's content.”

The eldest, Edmond, was born in Nancy in May 1822 and Jules, eight years younger, was born during the political unrest of 1830 . But very quickly their loved ones disappeared : the father died when they were very young and two years old. then their sister died of cholera. In 1848 it was their mother's turn to join her husband and daughter. Edmond will then feel responsible for his younger brother. “My mother, on your deathbed you placed the hand of your dear and favorite child in mine and recommended this child to me with a look that will not soon be forgotten ,” he said emotionally.

Their only consolation is that they can give up a job they hardly appreciate in order to live comfortably off their inheritance and devote themselves fully to their passion: art and literature. In fact, being jacks of all trades in art, they try out different forms.

Goncourt is a village in Haute-Marne , between Champagne and Lorraine, on the banks of the Meuse. This is where the Goncourt brothers find their roots and spend all their childhood holidays. The stationery acquired by their great-grandfather in 1786 testifies to this family history in Goncourt and in the neighboring town of Bourmont.

The brothers are classified in the naturalistic school . They wrote novels together such as Germinie Lacerteux from 1865, a novel inspired by the double life of their servant, or La Lorette and L'Art du XVIII siècle (1859-1875). They hate philanthropy and 'right thinking', love Saint-Simon, Father Duchesne, the memorialists (Chateaubriand). In writing, they do not hesitate to link neologisms together to better reflect reality: they are 'tellers of anecdotes', lovers of 'beautiful things'.

Willem Vandenameele