In 19th century European and especially French literature, decadence was the name given, first by hostile critics, and then triumphantly adopted by some writers themselves, to a number of late nineteenth century fin de siècle writers who were associated with Symbolism or the Aesthetic movement and who relished artifice over the earlier Romantics' naive view of nature (see Rousseau). Some of these writers were influenced by the tradition of the Gothic novel and by the poetry and fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Decadence generally refers to the supposed decline of a society because of moral weakness. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fin de siècle is French for end of the century. The term turn-of-the-century is sometimes used as a synonym, but is more neutral (lacking some or most of the connotations described below), and can include the first years of a new century. ... The Aesthetic movement is a loosely defined movement in art and literature in later nineteenth century Britain. ... Rousseau is a French surname. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, critic and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ...

This concept of decadence dates from the eighteenth century, especially from Montesquieu, and was taken up by critics as a term of abuse after Désiré Nisard used it against Victor Hugo and Romanticism in general. A later generation of Romantics, such as Théophile Gautier and Charles Baudelaire took the word as a badge of pride, as a sign of their rejection of what they saw as banal "progress". In the 1880s a group of French writers referred to themselves as decadents. The classic novel from this group is Joris-Karl Huysmans' Against Nature, often seen as the first great Decadent work, though others attribute this honor to Baudelaire's works. In Britain the leading figure associated with the Decadent movement was Oscar Wilde. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Portrait of Montesquieu in 1728. ... Jean Marie Napoléon Désiré Nisard (March 20, 1806 - March 27, 1888) was a French author and critic. ... Victor-Marie Hugo. ... Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier (August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and literary critic. ... Charles Baudelaire, photograph taken by Nadar. ... Progress can refer to: The idea of a process in which societies or individuals become better or more modern (technologically and/or socially). ... // Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak other traditional non-French languages. ... Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe; title page of 1719 newspaper edition A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Joris-Karl Huysmans. ... À rebours (translated into English as Against the Grain or Against Nature) (1884) is a novel by the French novelist Joris-Karl Huysmans. ... Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, short story writer and Freemason. ...

As a literary movement, Decadence is now regarded as a transition between Romanticism and Modernism. Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Modernism is a cultural movement that generally includes the progressive art and architecture, music, literature and design which emerged in the decades before 1914. ...

The Symbolist movement has frequently been confused with the decadent movement. Several young writers were derisively referred to in the press as "decadent" in the mid 1880s. Jean Moréas' manifesto was largely a response to this polemic. A few of these writers embraced the term while most avoided it. Although the esthetics of Symbolism and Decadence can be seen as overlapping in some areas, the two remain distinct. La mort du fossoyeur (The death of the gravedigger) by Carlos Schwabe is a visual compendium of Symbolist motifs. ...

Artists of the decadent movement

• Charles Pierre Baudelaire
• Gérard de Nerval
• Arthur Rimbaud
• Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly
• Oscar Wilde
• J. K. Huysmans
• Franz von Bayros
• Aubrey Beardsley
• Felicien Rops
• Guy de Maupassant
• Odilon Redon
• Comte de Lautréamont
• Franz von Stuck
• Edvard Munch
• Gustave Moreau
• Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
• Rachilde
• Georges Rodenbach
• Octave Mirbeau