Alexandre Dumas

Great French writer Victor Hugo told about his well-known contemporary: “In our century nobody has enjoyed such popularity as Alexandre Dumas; his success is more than success, this is a triumph. His glory thunders like blares of fanfares. Alexandre Dumas is not only a French, but also a European name; moreover it is a world-wide name”.

The exhibition dedicated to the 210 anniversary from the date of birth of Alexandre Dumas (father) (1802–1870), the outstanding French writer-novelist, playwright, storyteller, biographer and public figure, includes about 100 editions: collections of works and fiction, separately published novels, critical works on the writer’s books, and also biographic materials.

Along with the most known books by Alexandre Dumas, such as “Three Musketeers”, “Count of Monte Cristo”, “Queen Margot”, “The Countess de Monsoro”, “Forty Five”, the exposition presents less popular but not less interesting works “Madame Lafarge”, “La Dame de Volupté”, “Two Queens”, “The Red Sphinx” published in series “First in Russian”, “First in Russia”, and also the Russian versions of the collection “Crimes celebres, 1839–1856” and an illustrated edition “The History of Famous Crimes”, historic and biographical chronicles “The Life of Luis ХIV”, “Henry IV”, “Napoleon”.

Alexandre Dumas had the reputation for a great gourmet and expert in the art of cookery. His last edition was “The Big Cookery Dictionary”. It contains 800 short stories dedicated to cookery.

The exposition is designed with the illustrations of Maurice Leloir from the edition displayed at the exhibition “A. Dumas. Three Musketeers. – ACADEMIA, 1936”. Maurice Leloir, the well-known French painter, aquarellist, engraver and illustrator appreciated very highly the writing of Alexandre Dumas. In 1894, the Parisian publishing house “Calmann Levy” issued a two-volume book dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first edition of the novel “Three Musketeers”. Maurice Leloir made for it 250 illustrations which can be named rightfully the masterpieces of the world book illustration.