gallantry

The article analyzes the novel “La Poupée” (“Doll”) by a French writer of Italian origin Jean Galli de Bibiena, which introduced into the literature of the 18th century the theme of the doll mentoring an adult. The doll character combines, on the one hand, the ideas of the era about “man-machine”, the fascination with “live” automations, on the other hand, the tradition of depicting fairy-tale creatures, concentrated in Montfaucon de Villar’s book “Count Gabalis”. The writer sets up a kind of an artistic experiment through the play of sensuality and sensitivity.

In the article the correlation of the private and the public in the French court society of the second half of the XVIIth century is considered; the changes in the share of the themes touching upon private life are traced; the means of its depiction are analyzed.