The Nature of Nabi Symbolism

Abstract

Andre Fontainas places the birth of the symbolist movement in the mid-1880s. There was, however, no stage for symbolist drama until 1890, when the Theatre Libre turned its attention to Ibsen. That year also saw the formation of Paul Fort's Theatre d'Art which, after a mixed first season, turned to symbolism in 1891. The theatre seemed to be the ideal place to demonstrate the fusion of the arts, as Wagner had attempted to do, revealing the correspondence of the senses. On the other hand, the very presence of reciting actors and painted decor were felt to be incompatible with the essence of symbolist meaning. Fontainas claims that Wagner had made the mistake of trying to transmit his synthesis, incomparable at the level of creation, by the intermediary of singers, dancers, and musicians, who could not help but parody and disrupt the perfection of the concept.