Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 12 February 1777 |
| Died | 23 January 1843 (1843-01-24) (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Writer, novelist |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Literary movement | German romanticism |
| Notable works | Undine |
Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, Baron Fouqué (German:[ˈfʁiːdʁɪçdəlaˌmɔtfuˈkeː]; 12 February 1777 – 23 January 1843) was a German writer of theRomantic style.
 | This sectionrelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2023) |
He was born atBrandenburg an der Havel, of a family of FrenchHuguenot origin, as evidenced in his family name. His grandfather,Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué, had been one ofFrederick the Great's generals and his father was aPrussian army officer.[1]
Although not originally intended for a military career, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué ultimately gave up his university studies atHalle to join the army, and he took part in theRhine campaign of 1794. The rest of his life was devoted mainly to literary pursuits. He was introduced toAugust Wilhelm Schlegel, who deeply influenced him as a poet ("mich gelehret Maß und Regel | Meister August Wilhelm Schlegel") and who published Fouqué's first book,Dramatische Spiele von Pellegrin, in 1804.[2]
Fouqué's first marriage was unhappy and soon ended in divorce. His second wife,Caroline Philippine von Briest (1773–1831), enjoyed some reputation as a novelist in her day. After her death Fouqué married a third time. Some consolation for the ebbing tide of popular favour was afforded him by the munificence ofFrederick William IV of Prussia, who granted him a pension which allowed him to spend his later years in comfort. He died in Berlin in 1843.[3]
For Fouqué's life seeLebensgeschichte des Baron Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué (only to the year 1813), Aufgezeichnet durch ihn selbst (Halle, 1840), and also the introduction to Koch's selections in theDeutsche Nationalliteratur.[3]
.jpg)
AfterDramatische Spiele von Pellegrin, his second work,Romanzen vom Tal Ronceval (1805), showed more plainly his allegiance to the romantic leaders, and in theHistorie vom edlen Ritter Galmy (1806) he versified a 16th-century romance ofmedievalchivalry.[3]
Sigurd der Schlangentödter, ein Heldenspiel in sechs Abentheuren (1808), was the first modern German dramatization of theNibelung legend combining Icelandic sources such as theVolsunga Saga and the Middle High GermanNibelungenlied. The play and its two sequelsSigurds Rache (1809) andAslaugas Ritter (1810) were published together under the titleDer Held des Nordens in 1810 ["The Hero of the North"]. The trilogy brought Fouqué to the attention of the public, and had a considerable influence on subsequent versions of the story, such asFriedrich Hebbel'sNibelungen andRichard Wagner'sDer Ring des Nibelungen.[4]
These early writings indicate the lines which Fouqué's subsequent literary activity followed; his interests were divided between medieval chivalry on the one hand and northern mythology on the other. In 1813, the year of the rising againstNapoleon, he again fought with the Prussian army, and the new patriotism awakened in the German people left its mark upon his writings.[3]
Were I asked, what is a fairytale? I should reply, ReadUndine: that is a fairytale ... of all fairytales I know, I think Undine the most beautiful. (George MacDonald,The Fantastic Imagination)
Between 1810 and 1815, Fouqué's popularity was at its height; the many romances and novels, plays and epics which he produced with extraordinary rapidity, appealed greatly to the mood of the hour.Undine appeared around 1811, the only work by which Fouqué's memory still lives today. A more comprehensive idea of his talent may, however, be obtained from the two romancesDer Zauberring (1812) andDie Fahrten Thiodolfs des Isländers (1815).[3]
From 1820 onwards the quality of Fouqué's work deteriorated, partly owing to the fatal formal ease with which he wrote, and he failed to keep pace with the changes in German taste by clinging to the paraphernalia of romanticism. His rivals applied a sobriquet of "Don Quixote of Romanticism" to him.[3]
Most of Fouqué's works have been translated.Menella Bute Smedley, for instance, translated his ballad, "The Shepherd of the Giant Mountains." The English versions ofAslauga's Knight (byThomas Carlyle),Sintram and his Companions andUndine have been frequently republished.[3] A number of his short stories were translated inPopular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (1823).
Fouqué's playDer Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg ("The Song Contest on the Wartburg") is likely one of the sources forWagner'sTannhäuser.[5]Goethe was not impressed by it, remarking toEckermann: "We both agreed that all his life this poet had engaged in old Germanic studies, however without being able to develop this into a culture of his own making."[6]
Robert Louis Stevenson admired Fouqué's story "Galgenmännlein" and wrote his own version ("The Bottle Imp") with a Hawaiian setting.[7][8]
John Henry Newman andCharlotte Mary Yonge both praisedSintram and his Companions.William Morris also became an admirer ofSintram and his Companions, and it influencedMorris' own fiction.[7]
Sintram and his Companions andUndine are referred to inLittle Women byLouisa May Alcott; the character Jo mentions wanting them for Christmas in the first chapter of the book and finally receives them in chapter 22.Aslauga's Knight as well asSintram and his Companions andUndine are referred to inJo's Boys, the final book in Alcott'sLittle Women series, where the story ofAslauga's Knight mirrors the character Dan and his affection for gentle Bess.Undine is the basis, along withHans Christian Andersen'sLittle Mermaid, forDvořák's operaRusalka.[citation needed]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Robertson, John George (1911). "Fouqué, Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 749–750.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
