Art, archaeology, apocalypse

: Gustave Moreau and the ruins of history

Abstract

Since the nineteenth century, viewers of Gustave Moreau’s (1826-1898) work have noted a puzzling ruinous quality to much of his oeuvre. Art historians have also observed that the artist exhibited an awareness of a larger narrative of human history as well as a preoccupation with his own legacy. These thematic through lines, however, have never been fully explained. This thesis uses archaeology, which often trades in such motifs, as a vehicle for interrogating these curious aspects of Moreau’s career. By examining several case studies which will be linked to significant archaeological discoveries of the late nineteenth century, I investigate how, through portrayals of mythological or apocryphal historical antiquity, the artist allegorized the various societal, political and artistic upheavals of his era. Ultimately, this thesis argues that Moreau perceived France’s fate as potentially aligned with that of its Western ancient forebears and thus anticipated civilizational collapse. Under these circumstances, I suggest, Moreau sought to reinvigorate the history genre as a sort of poetically redemptive force. Exploring the impact of nineteenth-century events and currents such as the Terrible Year (1870-1871) and the crisis in history painting in dialogue with developments made in Troy, Rome and Pompeii, the present study attends to various resonances of archaeological ruin – both the threats it signifies concerning one’s existence and the promises it makes regarding one’s memory – and the ways in which Moreau may have assimilated them into his artistic practice.

Date of Award	3 Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Stephanie O'Rourke (Supervisor)