View source for Antoine Houdar de la Motte

{{Short description|French author (1672–1731)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name        = Antoine Houdar de la Motte
| image       = Antoine Houdar de La Motte - Versailles MV 2953.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|1672|1|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Paris
| death_date = {{death date and age|1731|12|26|1672|1|18|df=y}}
| death_place = Paris
| occupation = Choreographer, writer, librettist, playwright, poet
}}

'''Antoine Houdar de la Motte''' (18 January 1672{{snd}}26 December 1731) was a French writer.

De la Motte was born and died in Paris. In 1693 his comedy, ''Les Originaux'' (Les originaux, ou, l'Italien), was a complete failure, and so depressed the author that he contemplated joining the [[Trappists]]. Four years later he began writing texts for operas and ballets, e.g. ''[[L'Europe galante]]'' (1697), and tragedies, one of which, ''[[Inès de Castro (1723 play)|Inès de Castro]]'' (1723), was an immense success at the [[Comédie-Française|Theâtre Français]]. He was a champion of the moderns in the revived [[Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns|controversy of the ancients and moderns]]. His ''Fables nouvelles'' (1719) was regarded as a modernist manifesto.  [[Anne Dacier]] had published (1699) a translation of the ''[[Iliad]]'', and La Motte, who knew no [[Greek language|Greek]], made a translation (1714) in verse founded on her work.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=La Motte, Antoine Houdar de|volume=16|pages=131–132}}</ref>

He said of his own work: "I have taken the liberty to change what I thought disagreeable in it." He defended the moderns in the ''Discours sur Homère'' prefixed to his translation, and in his ''Réflexions sur la critique'' (1716). Apart from the merits of the controversy, it was conducted on La Motte's side with a wit and politeness which compared very favourably with his opponents' methods. He was elected to the [[Académie Française]] in 1710, but soon afterwards went blind. La Motte carried on a correspondence with the [[Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé|duchesse du Maine]], and was the friend of [[Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle|Fontenelle]]. He had the same freedom from prejudice and the same inquiring mind as the latter, and it is on the excellent prose in which his views are expressed that his reputation rests.<ref name="EB1911"/>

His ''Œuvres du theâtre'' (2 vols.) appeared in 1730, and his ''Œuvres'' (10 vols.) in 1754. See {{Ill|Hippolyte Rigault|fr}}, ''Histoire de la querelle des anciens et des modernes'' (1859).<ref name="EB1911"/>

== Poetry ==

*1701: ''Le Premier livre de l'Iliade'', translated into French verse
*1707: ''Églogue sur la naissance de Mgr le duc de Bretagne''
* Odes
**1707: ''Odes avec un Discours sur la poésie en général, et sur l'ode en particulier'', (several latter editions)
**1712: ''Le Deuil de la France'', ode
**1712: ''Le Souverain'', ode
**1716: ''Ode sur la mort de Louis le Grand'', ode
**1720: ''La critique'', ode
* Fables
**1714: ''Le Cygne'', fable allegorique
**1719: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N088715 Fables nouvelles]'', Paris, (several latter editions)
**1720: ''L'Indien et le soleil''

== Critics ==

*1714: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N088712 Discours sur Homère]''
*1715: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N088718 Réflexions sur la critique]'', Paris, G. Du Puis
*1719: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8613373p/f25.image.r=.langFR Discours sur la fable]'', Paris, Grégoire Dupuis
*1754: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N088713 Discours sur la poésie]'', Paris, Prault l'aîné
*1754: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N088714 Discours sur la tragédie]'', Paris, Prault l'aîné
*1730: ''Suite des Réflexions sur la tragédie''

== Theatre ==

[[File:Théatre (Houdar de la Motte)01.jpg|thumb|230px|Frontispice and title of a 1730 edition ''Les Œuvres de théâtre'' (exemplaire de la bibliothèque patrimoniale de [[Gray (Haute-Saône)|Gray]])]]
*1693: ''Les Originaux ou l'Italien'', three-act comedy, music by M. de Masse, presented at théâtre de l'Hôtel de Bourgogne, 13 August
*1697: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N108000 Issé]'', pastorale héroïque in 3 acts with prologue, présented at [[Château de Fontainebleau]] 7 October
*1697: ''[[L'Europe galante]]'', opéra-ballet in 4 acts and a prologue, music by [[André Campra]], given at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 24 October 
*1699: ''[[Amadis de Grèce]]'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts and a prologue, music by [[André Cardinal Destouches]], given 25 March (Académie royale de musique)
*1699: ''[[Marpesia|Marthésie]], première reine des Amazones'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts and one prologue, music by André Cardinal Destouches, presented at Château de Fontainebleau 11 October 
*1700: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N072128 Le Triomphe des arts]'', opéra-ballet in 5 acts, music by [[Michel de La Barre]], presented at théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 16 May
*1700: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N072506 Canente]'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts and one prologue, music by [[Pascal Collasse]] and [[Antoine Dauvergne]], presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 4 November 
*1701: ''Les Trois Gascons'', comédie avec divertissements in 1 act, with [[Nicolas Boindin]], music by [[Giuseppe Maria Cambini]] and [[Nicolas Racot de Grandval]], dit ''Grandval le Père'', presented at [[Comédie-Française]] 4 June
*1701: ''Omphale'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts and one prologue, music by André Cardinal Destouches, presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 10 November
*1702: ''La Matrone d'Éphèse'', comedy in 1 act and in prose, presented at Comédie-Française 23 September
*1703: ''Le Carnaval et la folie'', comédie-ballet in 4 acts and one prologue, music by André Cardinal Destouches, presented at Château de Fontainebleau 3 January
*1704: ''Le Port de mer'', comedy in 1 act and in prose, with Nicolas Boindin, music by [[Nicolas Racot de Grandval]], called ''Grandval le Père'', presented at Comédie-Française 27 May
*1705: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N072129 La Vénitienne]'', opéra-ballet in one prologue and 3 acts, music by Michel de La Barre, presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 26 May; reset on music by [[Antoine Dauvergne]], Académie royale de musique, 6 May 1768
*1709: ''Sémélé'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts, music by [[Marin Marais]], presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 9 April
*1715: ''La Ceinture de Vénus'', tableau dramatique, music by [[Jean-Joseph Mouret]], presented at [[Château de Sceaux]] 19 April
*1706: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N072727 Alcione]'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts and a prologue, music by Marin Marais, presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique), 18 February
*1715: ''Apollon et les muses'', tableau dramatique, music by Jean-Joseph Mouret, presented at Château de Sceaux 19 April
*1716: ''L'Amante difficile ou l'amant constant'', comedy in 5 acts and in prose, with [[Pierre Rémond de Sainte-Albine]], presented at Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Bourgogne 17 October
*1721: ''[http://gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N088717 Les Macchabées]'', tragedy in 5 acts and in verse, presented à la Comédie-Française 6 March
*1722: ''Romulus'', tragedy in 5 acts and in verse, presented at Comédie-Française 8 January
*1723: ''[[Inès de Castro (1723 play)|Inès de Castro]]'', tragedy in 5 acts and in verse, presented at Comédie-Française 6 April
*1726: ''Œdipe'', tragedy in 5 acts and in verse, presented at Comédie-Française 18 March
*1730: ''Dalcyone'', opera, presented in September
*1731: ''L'Italie galante ou les contes'', comedy in one prologue and 3 parts (''Le Talisman'', ''Richard Minutolo'', ''Le Magnifique''), presented at Comédie-Française 11 May
*1731: ''L'Amante difficile'', divertissement in 5 acts and in prose, music by Jean-Joseph Mouret, presented at Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Bourgogne 23 August
*1735: ''Scanderberg'', tragédie lyrique in 5 acts and a prologue, with [[Jean-Louis-Ignace de La Serre]], music by [[François Francœur]] and [[François Rebel]], presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 25 October
*1748: ''Pygmalion'', [[ballet]], reworked by [[Ballot de Sauvot]], music by [[Jean-Philippe Rameau]], presented at Château de Fontainebleau 27 August
*1753: ''Prométhée'', prologue in verse, presented in Paris 9 January
*1753: ''Titon et l'Aurore'', pastorale héroïque in 3 acts, with [[Claude-Henri de Fusée de Voisenon]] and [[abbé de La Marre]], music by [[Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville]], presented at Théâtre du Palais-Royal (Académie royale de musique) 9 January
*1753: ''Le Magnifique'', comedy in 2 acts and one prologue with three intermèdes, presented at château de Fontainebleau 15 November
* ''Le Ballet des fées'', ballet
* ''Le Calendrier des vieillards'', comedy in 1 act and in prose
* ''Climène'', pastorale in 1 act and in verse
* ''Les Âges'', opéra-ballet in 4 acts and one prologue

== External links ==
* [https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Auteur:Antoine_Houdar_de_La_Motte Antoine Houdar de La Motte] on Wikisource
* [http://www.academie-francaise.fr/les-immortels/antoine-houdar-de-la-motte?fauteuil=14&election=18-01-1710 Biographical information at l'Académie française]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011103654/http://cesar.org.uk/cesar2/people/people.php?fct=edit&person_UOID=100114 His plays and their presentations] on [http://cesar.org.uk CÉSAR]
* [http://baroquelibretto.free.fr/houdar.htm Fiche] on [http://baroquelibretto.free.fr/ http://baroquelibretto.free.fr]
* [http://iliadeodyssee.texte.free.fr/aatexte/houdar/accueilhoudart/iliadhoudart.htm ''L'Iliade interprétée'' by Houdar de la Motte]
* [http://iliadeodyssee.texte.free.fr/aatexte/houdar/discour/discourhomera.htm ''Discours sur Homère de Houdar de la Motte'' (1714) and in modern French]
* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5469510h.r=Antoine+de+Lamothe-Houdart+Fables+choisies.langFR ''Fables choisies de l'Abbé Aubert et de Lamotte-Houdart'' ("sic") (212 pages) on Gallica]

=== Bibliography ===
* Maurice Allem, ''Anthologie poétique française, XVIIIe'', Paris, Garnier Frères, 1919
* E. Dacier, « Le Premier Livre illustré au XVIIIe : les Fables de La Motte et les vignettes de Claude Gillot », in ''Trésors des bibliothèques de France'', 1929, tome II, (p.&nbsp;1-14)
* Paul Dupont, ''Un Poète philosophe au commencement du XVIIIe : Houdar de La Motte (1672–1731)'', Thèse présentée à la Faculté des lettres de l'Université de Paris, Paris, Hachette, 1898
* Cardinal [[Georges Grente]] (dir.), ''Dictionnaire des lettres françaises. Le XVIIIe'', nlle. édition revue et mise à jour sous la direction de François Moureau, Paris, Fayard, 1995
* François Moureau, « Les ''Fables nouvelles'' (1719) de La Motte ou comment s'en débarrasser », ''Le Fablier'', #2, 1990
* J.G. Robertson, « Sources italiennes des Paradoxes dramatiques de La Motte », ''Rev. littérature comparée'', 1923, (p.&nbsp;369-375)
* [[Claude-Sixte Sautreau de Marsy]], ''Précis sur la vie et les ouvrages d'Houdar de La Motte'', Paris, 1785

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
{{Wikiquote}}

{{Académie française Seat 14}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Motte, Antoine Houdar de}}
[[Category:1672 births]]
[[Category:1731 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Paris]]
[[Category:Members of the Académie Française]]
[[Category:17th-century French dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:18th-century French dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:17th-century French male writers]]
[[Category:18th-century French male writers]]
[[Category:French opera librettists]]
[[Category:French fabulists]]