«Toutes personnes [...] seront admises à concourir». La participation des femmes aux concours académiques

Résumé En

Recent studies have shown the obstacles and prejudice women authors had to overcome in 18th-century France. Academic competitions, public by nature, with their conditions which meant texts had to be sent anonymously and were crowned with an institutional reward, afford a rich field in which to examine other aspects of the question. At the time, the idea of feminine glory provoked major resistance so the notion of institutional recognition is particularly problematic. In this general context, the case of Mme de Montégut seems to offer total success. On the other hand, Mile Mazzarelli's experience reveals the risks of competing. Personal factors played an important part in the opposing fates of these two women. Mme de Montégut' s irreproachable conduct shielded her from the malicious gossip which Mazarelli suffered throughout her career. The institutional context contributed another essential element to the equation. Toulouse's Académie des Jeux Floraux, proud of its age-old tradition, offered a warm welcome to women who competed for its prizes. A much wider investigation could show whether such openness was a general phenomenon in provincial academies, particularly those dedicated to poetry as in Toulouse and Rouen. Whatever the case, taking part in academic competitions was an important aspect of literary activity in the 18th century for women as much as for men.