Jean-Baptiste Molière
The exhibition "A magnificent comedian", devoted to the 390th anniversary of the birth of Jean-Baptiste Molière (1622–1673), a genius of world literature, presents a number of unique editions and graphic images which reflect his rich creative heritage and the course of life of playwright, actor, stage director and director of his own theatre. The writer’s life was full of success and failures, falling and rises, severe challenges and people’s love.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Full collected works in two volumes with the foreword of professor S.A. Vengerov, and also numerous rare and little-known illustrations (St.-Petersburg: Brockgaus edition – Efron, 1912–1913). Moliere’s collected works of 1884 with the biography made by Alexei Veselovskiy (publisher O.I. Bakst considers him to be "the best expert of Molière") will be interesting for modern readers undoubtedly.
The exposition also includes later editions: Full collected works of French playwright in four volumes (Moscow: Iskustvo, 1965–1967), Collected works in two volumes (Moscow, 1957), Collected works in four volumes (Moscow, 1994), Selected works in two volumes (Samara, 1997), Moliere’s comedy collections and his separate works.
There is the book "Moliere" by French researcher Georges Bordonove, in which details of writer, actor and great playwright’s private destiny are described, among proposed editions at the exhibition.
Moliere’s biography, created specially for the series "Zhizn zamechatelnykh lyudey" (Life of great people) by known Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov in the 30’s of the 20th century that was published for the first time only in 1962, is of great interest. The book "Zhizn gospodina de Moliera" (Life of Moliere) (1980) from this series is presented on display.
Moliere’s comedies are favorite to both Belarusian readers and spectators.T. Borisova’s book "Malier na Belaruskay stsene" (Moliere on the Belarusian stage) is devoted to the staging of the classics’s plays at the Belarusian theatres in the 20–70’s.
