André Breton

Elza Adamowicz (Queen Mary, University of London)

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Ed. by Hugo Azerad, University of Cambridge
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.06: French Writing and Culture: Early Twentieth-century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Kate Averis (Universidad de Antioquia), Hugo Azerad (University of Cambridge), Patrick ffrench (King's College London), Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Akane Kawakami (Birkbeck, University of London), Siobhán McIlvanney (King's College London), Sinan Richards (King's College London), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born 19 Feb 1896
Died 28 Sep 1966
Activity 1916-1966

Places

Born in France
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Essayist
Philosopher
Poet

Resources

André Breton (1896–1966) was one of the founders of Surrealism (with Louis Aragon, Robert Desnos and Paul Eluard), its leading theoretician, and its oft-contested leader. He was a poet (Clair de terre, 1923 ; Le Revolver à cheveux blancs, 1932), a prosewriter (Nadja, 1928 ; Les Vases communicants, 1932, L’Amour fou, 1937), an editor (La Révolution surréaliste, 1924-29 ; Le Surréalisme au service de la révolution, 1931-33), an exhibition curator, and an art critic.

Breton was born on 18 February 1896 in Tinchebray, France. He went to the Lycée Chaptal in Paris, where he wrote his first poems, influenced by Symbolism. He studied medicine and during World War I he worked as …

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2736 words

Citation: Adamowicz, Elza. "André Breton". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 January 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=557, accessed 07 April 2025.]