The Revolt of the Angels · Chapter
XXII explained
Père Guinardon opens a curio shop in the Rue de Courcelles with the fair Octavie, having abandoned Zéphyrine.
What happens
Père Guinardon opens a curio shop in the Rue de Courcelles with the fair Octavie, having abandoned Zéphyrine. The shop attracts various visitors, including Comte Desmaisons, Monsieur Blancmesnil, and Gaétan d'Esparvieu. A discussion about El Greco's astigmatism leads to a debate on suffering and faith. Zéphyrine, driven by jealousy, attacks Octavie and destroys several paintings, accusing Guinardon of forgery before being arrested.
Themes in this chapter
Art and Beauty
The chapter centers on Guinardon's art shop, discussions of El Greco, and the forgery of paintings, highlighting the value and deception in art.
Human Nature and Folly
Zéphyrine's jealous rampage and Comte Desmaisons' obsessive mourning illustrate human irrationality and emotional extremes.
Religion and Blind Faith
Comte Desmaisons laments his lack of faith, while the discussion of El Greco's religious paintings touches on faith and suffering.
Characters to notice
- Père Guinardon
Opens a curio shop in the Rue de Courcelles with Octavie, abandoning Zéphyrine; accused by Zéphyrine of forging paintings.
- Zéphyrine
Jealous of Octavie, attacks her and destroys paintings in Guinardon's shop, shouting accusations of forgery before being arrested.
- Gaétan d'Esparvieu
Visits Guinardon's shop out of curiosity and discusses El Greco's astigmatism.
- Comte Desmaisons
A regular visitor mourning his wife; recounts experiments to view her soul as a gelatinous mass.
- Monsieur Blancmesnil
A director of a financial establishment who visits the shop, attracted to Octavie.
- Octavie
Installed in Guinardon's shop, described as fair and demure; attacked by Zéphyrine.
- Michel Guinardon
Referred to by Zéphyrine as her beloved Michel, the object of her jealous rage.
Key passages
“Being afflicted with astigmatism and strabismus, he painted the things he saw exactly as he used to see them.”
Gaétan suggests that El Greco's distorted figures result from his own visual defects.
Gaétan offers a naturalistic explanation for El Greco's style.
“I do not possess the gift of Faith. It is that which drives me to despair.”
Comte Desmaisons expresses his despair over lacking religious faith.
The Comte connects his lack of faith to his grief and suffering.
“All those pictures there, the El Greco, the Beato Angelico, the Fragonard, the Gérard David, and the Baudouins—Guinardon painted the whole lot of them himself, the wretch, the scoundrel!”
Zéphyrine accuses Guinardon of forging all the paintings in his shop.
Zéphyrine's outburst reveals her belief that Guinardon is a forger.