IDENTITY
La Cousine Bette
Literature
Work Summary
La Cousine Bette by Honoré de Balzac is a novel centred on the destructive rivalry surrounding the Hulot family, especially the resentful Lisbeth Fischer and the courtesan Valérie Marneffe. Through jealousy, sexual manipulation, financial ruin and family breakdown, Balzac presents a dark anatomy of desire and social corruption.
Evidence Summary
Van Gogh invokes the broader Balzac maxim while advising Bernard about artistic life.
Possible work-level source for a Balzac idea Van Gogh explicitly cites at author level.
CONTEXT
Author / Source
Honoré de Balzac
Work
La Cousine Bette
Years / Period
5 Aug 1888
Van Gogh Relation
Editorially Identified
EVIDENCE
Key Quotation
CONNECTIONS
Evidence Trail
5 Aug 1888 — Letter 655, note 15
Editorially Identified · Editorially identified thematic source
The editors note that Balzac's recurring idea that artists should avoid marriage appears notably in La Cousine Bette.
Response: Van Gogh invokes the broader Balzac maxim while advising Bernard about artistic life.
Connection: Possible work-level source for a Balzac idea Van Gogh explicitly cites at author level.
Related Research Nodes
Study Subject
Themes
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