Paul Gavarni (Hippolyte Guillaume Sulpice Chevalier). 1804-1886.
(L'amant): Nymphes des Bois, connaissez vous Adèle? (Le Dictionnaire des Rimes): Adèle! Pastourelle, charnelle, onzelle, matérielle, récelle, sempiternelle, femelle....Qu'elle demoiselle!
L'amant et le dictionnaire des rimes. (The Lover and the Rhyming Dictionary) July 7, 1839. Lithograph.Armelhaut and Bocher 892 7 7/8 x 6 1/4 (image), 10 1/3 x 9 (border), 14 5/8 x 10 (sheet). A fine impression printed on newsprint as published in Le Charivari. Good condition apart from a center fold. Signed in reverse in the stone. $250.
The lithograph depicts a dramatic, lovesick young man or dandy puzzling over his verses with a rhyming dictionary in hand, poking fun at romantic clichés and the absurdities of lovelorn poets of the period.
"Adèle! Shepherdess, carnal, elfin, material, hiding, eternal, female... What a damsel!"
The comparisons become increasingly less flattering. .
Word-by-Word Breakdown & Nuance
Adèle! — A proper female name (Adèle).
Pastourelle — Shepherdess or a rural maiden. In French poetry and song (especially pastourelle forms), it often evokes a pastoral, rustic charm.
Charnelle — Carnal, fleshly, or bodily.
Onzelle — A rare, playful, or whimsical descriptor (sometimes sounding diminutive, delicate, or sylph-like/elfin in tone, often used for rhyming effect).
Matérielle — Material, grounded, or physical.
Récelle — From the verb céler or réceler (to conceal, harbor, or keep hidden/mysterious). Here it functions as an adjective describing someone who harbors secrets or depth.
Sempiternelle — Everlasting, eternal, or perpetual (often used playfully to mean enduringly nagging or constant).
Femelle — Female (used here in a striking, classic literary rhythm to emphasize raw, elemental womanhood).
Qu'elle demoiselle! — Note: "Qu'elle" here is a slight phonetic play on "Quelle" (What a...). It translates to "What a young lady!" or "What a damsel!"
"Adèle! Shepherdess, carnal, elfin, material, hiding, eternal, female... What a damsel!"
Word-by-Word Breakdown & Nuance:
Adèle! — A proper female name (Adèle).
Pastourelle — Shepherdess or a rural maiden. In French poetry and song (especially pastourelle forms), it often evokes a pastoral, rustic charm.
Charnelle — Carnal, fleshly, or bodily.
Onzelle — A rare, playful, or whimsical descriptor (sometimes sounding diminutive, delicate, or sylph-like/elfin in tone, often used for rhyming effect).
Matérielle — Material, grounded, or physical.
Récelle — From the verb céler or réceler (to conceal, harbor, or keep hidden/mysterious). Here it functions as an adjective describing someone who harbors secrets or depth.
Sempiternelle — Everlasting, eternal, or perpetual (often used playfully to mean enduringly nagging or constant).
Femelle — Female (used here in a striking, classic literary rhythm to emphasize raw, elemental womanhood).
Qu'elle demoiselle! — Note: "Qu'elle" here is a slight phonetic play on "Quelle" (What a...). It translates to "What a young lady!" or "What a damsel!"
To order, to report broken links or to be placed on the email list, please contact Jane Allinson (jane@allinsongallery.com), call (001) 860 429 2322 or fax (001) 860 429 2825. Business hours are 9:A.M. to 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
Please click here to review the USE AND ACCEPTANCE AND PRIVACY POLICIES FOR THE ALLINSON GALLERY, INC. WEBSITE
Thank you for visiting this website.