Atala, an illustrated journey to the heart of a novel: the literary exhibition at the Maison de Chateaubriand

For a change from Parisian exhibitions, why not go a little further afield, to the heart of the Vallée-aux-Loups departmental estate in the Hauts-de-Seine, home to the Maison de Chateaubriand. In this extraordinary museum, where this illustrious writer lived, a new exhibition will be on show from October 4, 2024 to September 28, 2025, focusing on his work"Atala", which launched his career in 1801.

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This short novel tells the story of a youthful love affair between Chactas, an Indian, and a woman from an enemy tribe, Atala, who has converted to Christianity. After running away, they meet Father Aubry, a missionary, who converts Chactas to Christianity and unites him with Atala. In order not to betray an oath made to her mother (in which she promised to remain a virgin), she poisons herself. A little-known monument to French literature and the Romantic movement, this tragedy, which he intended to be"exotic", praises the Christian religion.

It was this work that enabled him to make a name for himself in the literary world. Reissued several times and illustrated by famous illustrators such as Gustave Doré, the novel inspired writers and poets, as well as painters and engravers, notably Girodet with his famous"Atala au tombeau". In this exhibition, the museum explores thehistory of this literary success and the novel's posterity, as well as the staging of the story, through 12 major extracts and around 100 works.