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Philosophy and Culture
Reference:

Aestheticization of everyday life in France of the XVII century.

Zaótseva Nataliya Vladimirovna

PhD in Art History

Director General, "Voyager" LLC

194100, Russia, g. Saint Petersburg, ul. Kharchenko, 1, kv. 34

nvzaytseva@mail.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0757.2022.3.37496

Received:

07-02-2022


Published:

03-04-2022


Abstract: The aestheticization of everyday life is a multidimensional socio-cultural phenomenon. The study of the history of everyday life is today one of the most relevant areas of modern science.This research aims to identify the origins of the process of aestheticization of everyday life in Modern times and the expansion of time boundaries beyond its philosophical understanding in the XVIII century. The purpose of the study is to analyze the historical material of the XVII century, demonstrating that the processes of aestheticization and theatricalization of everyday life took place at this time. In France of the XVII century, there are all conditions for the process of aestheticization and theatricalization of everyday life. The process of socialization of elites is completed by the middle of the XVII century, a new aesthetic taste and aesthetic ideal is being formed, which can be transferred to the subject-spatial environment, art is being institutionalized and the luxury industry is emerging. In the XVII century, we see not only the artistic and aesthetic design of the subject-spatial environment, but also an absolutely obvious expansion of artistic life beyond art, when everyday life is likened to art, bodily needs such as sleep, nutrition, toilet are aestheticized and dramatized. There was also a change in the canons of behavior and appearance under the influence of a new aesthetic ideal. The process of aestheticization in the XVII century was not of a mass nature, remaining elitist and affecting only the social elite. However, the model or mechanism of the aestheticization of everyday life, created in the XVII century, persists for the next centuries, spread across Europe and reach Russia.


Keywords:

the history of everyday life, gallant aesthetics, gallantry, philosophy of the XVII century, gallant ethos, french royal court, secular society, history of France, court society, mode of life

This article is automatically translated.

The aestheticization of everyday life is a multidimensional socio-cultural phenomenon. The study of the history of everyday life is today one of the most relevant areas of modern historical science. Partly because for a long time everyday aspects were outside the sphere of close attention of researchers and the first methodological concepts in the study of everyday issues belong to the Annals school. Partly because the attempt to comprehend only the historical aspects of everyday life, without their philosophical or psychological understanding, turns everyday aspects into bright colors that only enliven the dry historical picture, but do not lead to a new level of understanding of history.   

Therefore, at this stage of the development of science, attempts are being made to interdisciplinary research of the sphere of everyday life.  This is one of the most relevant topics, because, according to most researchers, at the moment humanity is experiencing an aesthetic boom, when the aesthetic began to be perceived as an integral part of human everyday life. So M.V. Duminskaya writes that "in fact, we are talking about the cultivation of an aesthetic culture of consumption, the expansion of aesthetic production"[1, p. 115]. T.M. Shatunova speaks of aestheticization as a global trend of the modern world, comparable in scope with the processes of modernization and globalization [2, p. 33]. And, finally, S.B. Nikolaeva, relying on numerous Western European and domestic studies of recent decades, calls aestheticization the paradigm of modernity [3, p.1].

If we talk about time limits, there are almost no discrepancies in this issue, all researchers attribute the beginning of the aestheticization of everyday life, as well as the very emergence of aesthetic theory, to the period of Enlightenment [3, p.7]. T.M. Shatunova believes that: "Only in the age of Enlightenment literature, fine art and music are separated from the sacred and court life and are institutionalized as special spheres of artistic activity"[2, p. 33].  

This study aims to identify the features of the process of aestheticization of everyday life in France of the XVII century, a period that opens the history of Modern times.  

This period not only continues the historical process of humanization and secularization of secular European society, but also offers a fundamentally new ethics and aesthetics, new gender relations, a new manner of behavior, in a word, a new cultural model that spreads throughout Europe and reaches Russia. 

 Narrative sources (letters, memoirs) were used for the study, which reflect literary and aesthetic disputes conducted in salons, as well as philosophical and moralistic literature of the XVII century, books on etiquette. An important source, in our opinion, are books on architecture and the art of interior design of the XVII and XVIII centuries, the analysis and comparison of which allows us to state changes in views on the arrangement and decoration of mansions of the nobility.

It is worth mentioning right away that the issue of aestheticizing everyday life is being considered. If we choose between the terms "aestheticization of everyday life" and "aestheticization of everyday life", then in this work preference is given to the term "everyday life", which has a broader meaning than "everyday life", which also includes the event area of life, the emotional side of the phenomena occurring in everyday life. 

It is necessary to dwell separately on what we mean by the concept of "aestheticization". S.B. Nikonova by "universal aestheticization" of the modern world understands "the penetration of art into life, the construction of life according to the principles of art", and by "aestheticization of everyday life" - the transformation of everyday objects into works of art and the transformation of everyday life itself into an object aesthetic self-admiration[3].  

T. M. Shatunova believes that: "Aestheticization is the process of strengthening or acquiring aesthetic qualities by people, things, all forms of social relations that do not have direct aesthetic functions. She connects this with the processes of institutionalization of art and the production of artistic products as a commodity. Aestheticization presupposes disinterestedness of pleasure, freedom from practical utilitarian interest, the ability to enjoy visibility, admiring pure forms [2, p. 33].  

 Based on the definitions given by modern researchers, we have identified several conditions and signs of the aestheticization of everyday life, in our opinion, the most important, on the basis of which we propose to perform a subsequent analysis of sources.

The conditions that determine the possibility of aestheticizing everyday life include:

- the process of socialization of the individual, which is understood as a departure from the medieval-Renaissance consciousness and the conscious attribution of an individual to a certain social category (in this case, to the ruling elites) and which is accompanied by a change in cultural values and patterns of behavior;

  • the ability of a person or ethos to formulate an aesthetic ideal and transfer the inner aesthetic experience to the spatial and subject-everyday environment, turning utilitarian objects and spaces into aesthetic objects; 
  • secularization and institutionalization of artistic life are processes that involve the liberation of art from the control of the clergy and the creation of state institutions regulating artistic life, which leads to a new social status and a new place for artists in society;  
  • production of artistic products on a fairly large scale;

Signs of the aestheticization of everyday life are:

- changing the canons of behavior and appearance under the influence of an aesthetic ideal, since behavior is an important element of everyday life;

  • artistic and aesthetic design of the subject-spatial environment, when aestheticized rooms or objects become a symbol of a person's social status;
  • the expansion of artistic life beyond art, when everyday life is likened to art, bodily needs such as sleep, nutrition, toilet are aestheticized; 

Now let's turn to France of the XVII century, a period that reveals the history, philosophy, and mentality of a Modern man. The first half of the XVII century in France was marked by serious social shifts. The approval of the classical model of monarchy led to the transformation of the ruling elites. At this time, the royal power receives powerful financial resources, the nobility, on the contrary, goes bankrupt and rushes to the throne in search of money. Socially diverse groups of people gather at the royal court - the family nobility, princes of the blood, the nobility of the mantle, influential financiers, the administrative bourgeoisie, representatives of the third estate. There is a process of formation of court elites, which Norbert Elias called the process of "turning the knightly estate into a courtier" [4, p.75]

Because of this, a new social identity of the ruling elites is being formed. Emil Schalk believes that around the 1660s there was a transition from a family mentality to a collective mentality and new social groups were formed [5, p. 122]. In his opinion, this leads to the socialization of personality, when people begin to identify themselves not with the house, but with a social group. If an aristocrat in the medieval-Renaissance era thinks in the category of home, family, county, then in a monarchical state he begins to relate himself to a certain social group.

However, not only the royal court, but also a new socio-cultural space - secular and literary salons became the platform where the meeting of the estates took place, a new style of behavior and style of everyday life was generated. In a word, there was a socialization of the individual, which implies a conscious attribution of oneself to a certain social group in the structure of the monarchy of the classical model, a change in

systems of cultural values and patterns of behavior.

The emerging model of the classical monarchy and the new hierarchy of values required a different ideology in order to cement the socially heterogeneous society gathered at the royal court. The chivalrous heroic ideal is replaced by the ideal of a noble and gallant person, new value models, rules of good form and a code of harmonious community are being formed. The court nobility organizes its existence around the ideal of good breeding and refinement. Education, correct literary speech become a prerequisite for compliance with the gallant ideal. At the beginning of the XVII century . Francois du Suet formulates the idea, revolutionary for that time, that a nobleman differs from a commoner by education: "We are the first in fact, so we will not be the last in our abilities"[6, p. 66]. By the mid-30s of the XVII century, culture and education had become a distinctive feature of the noble estate. Of course, the main quality was still military valor, but other requirements appear: "a nobleman must be courteous, graceful, full of fine manners," La Berodiere proclaimed in 1608 [7, p. 206].

Thus, in the first half of the XVII century. we observe the process of formation of a new court elite, united by a gallant ideal. By the middle of the XVII century, there was a perception of the gallant ideal by the French royal court. "Louis XIV began his reign at a time when heroism prevailed over gallantry, having somewhat more need for a gallant image than the one that surrounds the warrior-hero" [8, p. 101].   

What was the ideal of nobility and gallantry? The main function of the gallant ideal is the softening of rude chivalrous mores, the subordination of an individual's behavior to social rules. Remy Seselen believes that the ideal of a noble and gallant man of the first XVII century is a product of imitation, the result of a synthesis of nature and art, with an aesthetic that wants art to be an imitation of "beautiful nature". It is impossible to describe a noble and gallant person exactly, this is something elusive, because he "is not an object of reason, but of very precise taste" [9, p. 11]. He is reasonable and restrained, without exaltation and exaggeration, has universal qualities, has decent manners. This is a secular ideal, which assumes, first of all, secular qualities, positively understood by contemporaries, from which the fundamental principle and axis of the new aesthetics follows - the art of liking. "The whole secular theory of nobility and gallantry ends with access to the vastness of the art of liking. A person can find happiness only in secular life, which replaces heroic and moral efforts"[10, p. 85].  

An important factor that influenced the new gallant ideal was Cartesianism. The restoration of the integrity of the world and the subject is achieved in Descartes' philosophy by turning a person inside himself. With his treatise on the passions, Descartes seeks to bring man into harmony with the world. Many researchers underestimate the influence of Descartes on the emerging gallant ethos. Cartesianism is widely spread in the salon environment, which generates views on the style and lifestyle of a noble secular person: "Rejected by the school, Descartes' philosophy was met by salons. The women who made up the sovereign empire were its first adherents," writes Fouche de Carey, one of the first Descartes researchers [11, p. 5].

Descartes' followers continue to develop his ideas. The philosopher, moralist, priest, who visited the literary salon of Madeleine de Scudery, Dominique Buur writes about the balance of the external and internal in noble people [12, p. 311]. A noble and gallant person is, first of all, a person who should be turned inward to his individual qualities. It is not service to society, but the inner world of a person that determines his self-respect and respect for society. Against the background of the fact that the courtyard and the salon space were a complex and structured hierarchy, individual qualities of a person become very important, as an opportunity to stand out, and, as a result, the opportunity to rise higher.

 The new philosophical and ideological foundation of Cartesianism and the gallant ideal change the view of the meaning of creativity and art. The idea of art is gradually being developed in secular salons. Literary, philosophical and moralistic disputes that flash in the letters of the Marquise de Sevigne[13], Ninon de Lanclos [14, p. 80], Count Bussy-Rabutin[15, p. 390] brought art from the level of practical perception, the level of craft to the level of artistic thinking. 

If the aesthetic pleasure of a decorated interior or works of art is an absolutely subjective experience, the reaction of a particular subject [16, p. 83], then in order to perceive the aestheticized space equally, one should have a close aesthetic taste, jointly acquired aesthetic experience. It was the secular salons that were the socio-cultural space in which the tastes of the French elite were formed, educated and unified, a place for acquiring aesthetic experience.

A striking example is the novel by Madeleine de Scuderi "Artamen or the Great Cyrus", in which Madeleine de Scuderi, taking a fantasy plot, depicted the entire high society of France at that time [17]. Based on this novel , a book was written by Victor Cousin  The French society of the XVII century according to the "Great Cyrus" by Madeleine Scuderi", in which he performs the deciphering of the characters and events described in the novel [18]. In Scuderi's novel, Parisian secular society turns itself into a subject of literary description, psychological observation and correlates itself with established ideals. The daily life of aristocrats turns into a work of art and an object of aesthetic admiration.

The following conditions for the aestheticization of everyday life are the secularization of art and its institutionalization, as well as the production of artistic products on an industrial scale.  The royal power looked at the liberal arts as a state policy.  Even under Richelieu, the French Academy appeared under the patronage of the king (1635). Under Louis XIV, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture (1648), reformed in 1663, the Royal Academy of Dance (1662), the Royal Academy of Music (1669), which merged into the Royal Academy of Music and Dance (1671), the Academy of Architecture (1671). Unlike the Renaissance academies, which were under the patronage of secular or spiritual rulers, the French academies were state institutions in the system of the monarchy of the classical model."The aristocrats allowed talents to rise to their level, but never descended to them," Francois Leopold Marc wrote about the situation of artists at the beginning of the XVII century [19, p. 155]. The position of secretary or librarian with a noble person was the best opportunity. Serving the king becomes equivalent to serving the state. In the era of Louis XIV, a writer, an artist, an artist acquires a new social status and a new place in society.

The protectionist and mercantilist policies of Finance Minister Colbert lead to the creation of a luxury industry: "As for luxury, the prestige factor, he [Colbert - N.Z.] is looking for opportunities to lead it. Numerous academies that appeared during his tenure as minister unite the elite of scientists, writers, artists to set the tone, to form a taste both in thought and in art under the control of the state, of course" [20, p. 306]

From this moment, the development of the luxury industry begins, Paris turns into a center for the production of furniture, decorative and applied art, tapestries, lace, luxury items. German traveler Christoph Joachim Neimets writes at the beginning of the XVIII century: "Luxury, vanity, pomp are pushed to the limit in Paris. How many thousands of hardware (trinkets, jewelry)  and did the French found haberdashery shops in different countries that sell haberdashery goods and fabrics made in Paris? Moreover, I know that noble Germans, in order to buy all kinds of outfits, urgently send people to France to bring new fashion. And, although factories are springing up everywhere, Paris retains its trust and preference for those who are looking for a new fashion" [21, p. 588].

Thus, it is obvious that in France of the XVII century there are all conditions for the process of aestheticization of everyday life. The process of forming new elites is completed by the middle of the XVII century, a new aesthetic taste and aesthetic ideal is formed, which can be transferred to the subject-spatial environment, structural changes in artistic life lead to a new social position of artists and the luxury industry arises. 

Under the influence of the new gallant ideal, the canons of behavior and appearance change.  The flow of literature about the inner and outer qualities of a noble and gallant man literally overwhelmed the book market in the XVII century, starting with the book by Nicolas Fare "A Noble Man or the Art of being liked at Court" (1630). Moral writers such as Pierre Bardin, Francois de Grenaille, Antoine de Courtin explain the manner of behavior, teach etiquette, talk about fashion and style of clothing and the arrangement of the house of a noble and gallant person.Decent appearance begins to be perceived as part of decency, which reflects the virtues and mind of a person. For example, Antoine de Courtin argues that the source of fashion is the court, and one should imitate the courtiers, but not all, but the most refined part, avoiding two mistakes in clothing — excessive modesty and excessive overload. A person who is absurdly dressed or has a modest hairstyle inevitably creates an opinion in society that he is ridiculous: "The law that we must adhere to for decency is fashion! She is the absolute ruler, to whom our mind should be subordinated, following in her clothes what she commands, if we do not want to be outcasts of secular life" [22, p. 93]

This was the stage of the declaration of the inner ideal from the outside, when the inner ideal becomes visible. At the same time, there is an aestheticization of the subject-household environment. Because of this, throughout the XVII century, there was an increasing demand not only for convenience, comfort, but also for sophistication in the design of living space, furniture, decorative and applied art objects. The main requirement in the arrangement of everyday life was the requirement to conform to the ideal of gallantry, which presupposed "a single principle of generalized sensory-expressive quality of objects and phenomena of art in everyday life"[23, p. 6].  

The result of this was a change in the spatial solution of the mansions of the nobility.The first changes in the layout and design of the living rooms were made by the famous hostess of the salon Marquise Rambouillet, who rebuilt her father's mansion on the Rue Saint-Honor? in a new taste: with a suite of small cozy living rooms full of light, with large windows and doors facing the garden, placing the grand staircase in the corner of the building, which gave the rooms even more comfort.rt. Every detail of the interior has been thought out. The state rooms and salons of the Rambouillet mansion have become a reflection of a new refined taste and elegance. The Rambouillet Hotel, according to architect Henri Saval, was the most comfortable and luxurious in the kingdom [24, p. 201]. The famous blue drawing room of the Marquise was the epicenter of the social life of this time. 

 Here is how the salon Abbot Michel de Pur describes the atmosphere of the secular salon: "Each salon is a magnificent place decorated with rich carpets, paintings, mirrors, Dutch faience, Chinese cabinets and Chinese trinkets. Armchairs and bent chairs were arranged in a semicircle, in the center of this semicircle stands on a podium in a frame of columns of an alcove, a bed with curtains from brocard. The hostess of the house was reclining on it. There is no paradise more pleasing to the eye than a salon"[25, p. XXXI]. The purpose of this almost theatrical space was to captivate, entertain, surprise.  

Following the Rambouillet mansion, the fashion for a new design of the reception rooms spread like a craze throughout the palaces of the Royal Square. Influenced by the Rambouillet mansion by the Dowager Queen Maria The Medici creates the Luxembourg Palace, Cardinal Richelieu decorates his palace on the Rue Saint-Honor?.

A social reception or a rout, a refined conversation or a dinner that took place there required an impeccable frame for action. This leads to a separation into the front and living space. Everything base, not beautiful and not aesthetic was taken out of the front halls. Therefore, the layout of the house was arranged in such a way that all the fuss, the movement of servants, the preparation for the reception took place in a different, parallel space. To do this, the space of the mansion is penetrated by back stairs and service rooms are grouped around them. In 1658, the first service staircase was built in the de Beauvais mansion. From that moment on, books on architecture recommend making their own staircase for each suite of rooms to reduce the movement and noise that the servants created.

The next feature of the aestheticization of the space was the increase in the reception rooms and their specialization. If the architectural drawings published at the beginning of the XVII century stipulate only the minimum of rooms that were necessary for the mansion (lobby, chapel, anti-chamber, hall, wardrobe, mezzanine, study, rear office, gallery, library [26], then as the development of social life, the number of ceremonial rooms increases almost twice and at the beginning of the XVIII century, the following familiar typology was formed: lobby, large salon, dining room, hall, front bedroom, boudoir, large study, small study, gallery, and complexes of private apartments[27].

 Instead of faceless living rooms or halls, specialized rooms appear: a ceremonial bedroom, a dining room, a reception room, and so on. For the design of each of them, certain typological requirements are developed for the location of windows, fireplaces, furniture and even color scheme[28].

Another sign of aestheticization is the expansion of artistic life beyond art, when everyday life is likened to art. In the XVII century, the line between art and everyday life is blurred, art enters the daily life of the gallant ethos. As a result, art galleries appear in palaces and mansions of the nobility. In books on architecture, it is recommended to place galleries with collections of paintings, marbles, and rare objects near the offices. The gallery was not just a corridor connecting the rooms, but served for the signor's walks, demonstrating his enlightenment and taste[27]

The Princess of Montpensier recalled how Cardinal Mazarin took the two queens, Princess Henrietta of England and her "to the gallery, which was filled with everything imaginable. Stones and jewels, jewelry, furniture, damasks, all the most charming things that come from China, crystal candelabra, mirrors, tables, cabinets of different styles, silver tableware, smoking pots, gloves, ribbons, fans"[29, p. 186]

It was the influence of the Renaissance tradition absorbed by Mazarin in Italy. However, what was new was that such galleries appeared not only in the mansions of princes of the blood or cardinals, as rare centers of enlightenment in the Renaissance, but among ordinary nobles. Being in exile in his ancestral castle, not a rich nobleman Count Bussy Rabutin, according to the fashion of that time, decided to decorate all the ceremonial halls of his family castle with portraits and create a gallery of great kings and politicians [30, p. 203].  

In addition, galleries themselves turn into works of art. The magnificent Hercules Gallery in the Lambert mansion, painted by Charles Lebrun, was a masterpiece of architecture of the XVII century [24, p. 224]. The largest and most spacious, according to architect Henri Sauval, was the gallery in the Vrillera mansion, 40 meters long. This mansion was built by Mansard for Secretary of State Philippe de La Vrillera. It was called the golden gallery and on the walls there was the famous Vrillera collection - canvases by Guido Reni, Pietro Cartone, Veronese, Tintoretto, Titian[24, p. 230].

The aestheticization of everyday life took place not only through art, but also through play, since the desire to bring reality closer to the ideal is inherent in aestheticization: "Aestheticization in its original sense is aimed not at knowing reality, but at playing with it"[31, p. 80]  

At its core, the game models the behavior of people, helps to develop new patterns of behavior. In the secular salons of the XVII century, a select society of like-minded people gathered, striving to create an ideal world. The theatricalization of life made it possible to forget about everyone's position, old titles and form a new code of behavior, create a new social community.  Fictional literary names that were given to the participants of the salons (for example, in the salon of the Marquise Rambouillet, the Marquise Rambouillet was called Artenis, the poet Vincent Voiture - Valerie, Mademoiselle Scuderi - Sappho, etc.) also indicate theatricality and play, the desire to immerse yourself in an ideal world. Moving away from rough reality through play and theatricality is a departure from outdated norms of social life to the creation of new ones. If the world cannot be changed, the game comes to the rescue. 

Playfulness or playfulness becomes a new quality inherent in the gallant behavior model. The Princess of Orleans, nee Princess of the Palatinate, condemning the playfulness prevailing in high society, wrote: "The ladies of this country are extremely playful, this is the source of many evils. I have often been told that you are not good because you don't like games"[32, p. 214]. And she sincerely confessed that she "never had French manners and I could never learn them" [32, p. 340].

The game was inherent in the communication that took place in these elephants, especially the conversation. The writer and moralist de Moncry, speaking about the art of being liked in the light, draws a direct parallel with the actor's ability to penetrate into the nuances of the characters of the participants in communication. Moreover, advising to conduct a conversation correctly, he uses theatrical terms - it is impossible to "turn everyone only into spectators", "one cannot completely occupy the stage" [33, p. 86].

In his opinion, conversation is a theater of ideas [32, p. 179]. The desire to open up in communication and reveal the interlocutor leads to the appearance of a set design of the conversation, a certain scenario, the peculiarity of which is the variety of plots [32, p. 92]. In the theatrical space of the salon, first of all, the one who is endowed with the skills of an actor, who knows how to pause and put an idea into a decent form, attracts attention.

The aestheticization of everyday life was especially pronounced in the fact that the most utilitarian things, such as the bathroom and toilet, turn into an object of aesthetic admiration.Since the second half of the XVII century, following the tradition of the royal chambers, bathrooms appear in new mansions and are arranged in ancient castles. These are no longer modest rooms, as in the book by Louis Savo, but interiors, decorated with taste and luxury. 

In the decoration of these halls, the architects recommended using marble, ceramic tiles and grotesque paintings on the walls and ceiling.  For example, in the Lambert de Torigny mansion, built in for Claude Lambert de Torigny, president of the accounting Chamber, one of the first bathrooms was arranged. The murals of the ceiling of this room were made by the famous painter Eustache Lesier and corresponded to the purpose of the room - mythological scenes dedicated to the water element: the triumph of Neptune, the sea goddess Amphitrid, Diana bathing with nymphs, whom Actaeon spies on, an angry Diana driving the nymph Calisto from the waters of the sacred spring [24, p. 223].

The reason for this transformation of utilitarian rooms into artistically decorated interiors lies in the fact that the public toilet, under the influence of gallant culture, has turned into a small reception, into a new form of communication in which the ceremonial and intimate aspects of life are piquantly mixed. 

Louis XIV, who attached great importance to the ceremonial, personally appointed the time of public toilets for all family members. The young Maria Adelaide of Savoy, the bride and then the wife of the Duke of Burgundy, came to the French court in 1696. Despite the fact that the princess was too young to have her own court and courtiers, Louis XIV ordered her to arrange an official toilet for the courtiers twice a week (on Tuesdays and Fridays).

The role of the public toilet in the life of the French aristocracy is becoming extremely important. He constantly appears in the court annals along with balls, church services, court walks and diplomatic receptions. 

Here is the magazine of the Palace of Fontainebleau for October-November 1703:

"Tuesday 2. Madame Duchess of Burgundy has a large toilet... 

Thursday 4. Princesses and ladies of the court were present at the toilet of the Queen of England.

Friday 5. Madame Duchess of Bourgogne and Madame arrived in advance for their toilet.

Saturday 6. The Queen of England had a great court reception during her toilet"[34, pp. 182-231].

For toilet rooms, they began to create specialized pieces of furniture decoration. Inventory inventories of the royal chambers show a large number of toilet accessories made of gold and silver: mirrors, dressing cases, combs, shaving sets. All this was done by the best craftsmen with extraordinary taste and luxury. 

 The next stage is to create special clothes for the morning toilet - morning dressing, the fashion for which is also rapidly changing. Engravings depicting and describing these outfits are published in fashion magazines. Here is a description from the magazine "Mercury Galan" for 1693: "A noble lady in a morning negligee is depicted sitting carelessly, wearing only a taffeta skirt, Spanish lace is sewn on the hem. Her homemade dress without a belt falls freely. The hairstyle matches the clothes, it is not at all high, the hair is not styled, only simple ribbons tied with carelessness on the head. She is wearing a fashionable Marseilles corset, which is called "breathable", this is a kind of semi-open corset"[35, pp. 201-211]

The same can be said about the ceremonial bedrooms, which become part of the ceremonial chambers and in which the secular action took place. In them, the hostess, often reclining on the bed, received guests and the space of the bedroom is decorated and arranged for this reception as a theater platform. The Marquise Rambouillet is the first to push the bed into the center and arrange the furniture around, forming a kind of mise en scene. In one of the first books on the architecture of private buildings and interior decoration, this principle of furniture arrangement and the creation of a space composition is already used, designed for the scenography of a reception in a bedroom [26]. Of course, the appearance of the hostess had to correspond to the "small reception" in the bedroom, she was not dressed in a court dress, but a special outfit that was called "home", more comfortable and less formal.

The place of eating becomes equally important. In the decoration and decoration of dining halls, according to books on architecture and decoration, the beauty of tapestries and beautiful furniture, the whiteness of table linen were appreciated. There was also a bowl made of stone or marble in the shape of a sink with a fountain for rinsing glasses. Very often, the dining room was decorated with natural or artificial marble, still lifes depicting game and fish were hung on the walls.  

For example, in the dining room in the palace of the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg there was a huge buffet with a large number of shelves on which vases of gilded silver, figures, dishes, cups were displayed. In the dining room, during lunch, large porcelain vases with flowers and aroma vases were placed around the tables. The tables themselves were festooned with garlands of natural and artificial flowers. Baskets of fruits and flowers were piled on the tables, as well as pyramids of flowers and leaves or fruits and leaves with flowers. 

Books on architecture suggested placing a small amphitheater on two or three levels with vases of beautiful shapes in the dining rooms along the walls, since "fresh flowers and the variety of their smell fill the soul with a magnificent impression" [28, p. 185]. The XVII century is the heyday of the art of serving and serving on the table, when the principle of saturation and abundance is replaced by the principle of almost artistic decoration of dishes. 

By the middle of the XVII century, exquisitely decorated complexes of private chambers appeared in the mansions of the nobility. If the state rooms reflected the social role of the owner, then the personal or small rooms in which everyday life took place were a reflection to a greater extent of personal tastes and preferences.  An example is the mansion of Jacques Tubeuf, president of the Accounting Chamber, built in 1635 by Pierre Muet, which was made with all possible amenities[24, p. 203].  The small apartments consisted of a bedroom, a wardrobe and an office, and in terms of sophistication and luxury of decoration were not inferior to the state rooms. 

  The aestheticization of everyday life was, of course, the creation of a decoration for one's own self. On this occasion, Nietzsche wrote very accurately: "The meaning of our gardens and palaces (and in so far as the meaning of any pursuit of wealth) is to expel disorder and vulgarity from our eyes and create the homeland of the nobility of the soul. For the most part, it seems to people that they become higher natures, allowing these beautiful calm objects to influence themselves: hence the pursuit of Italy, travel, etc., all kinds of reading and visiting theaters"[36, p. 749].  

 The processes of social transformation of former feudal lords into courtiers were painful for the ruling class and were associated with the loss of social identity. At the same time, the aesthetic can facilitate human existence. Aesthetic influences a person's worldview, the aestheticization of everyday life raises a person in their own eyes. V.G. Lankin wrote very precisely about this: "A person does not see his aesthetic perfection in the mirror of his own tautological identical consciousness, at least not reflected in another admiring and perfecting gaze, even if fictional. A person is waiting for an aesthetic justification of his being in another consciousness..."[37, p. 12].  

The aestheticized space had to emphasize the status of the owner in everyday life, the antiquity of the family or the position at court, to become a worthy frame for one's own "I", which, reflected in others, created an aesthetically perfect image of the subject. The Princess of Montpensier, for example, in her castle of Saint-Fargeau, modeled on the castle of the Comte de Bethune, placed portraits of her ancestors in the anti-chamber, which emphasized the nobility of the family, reminded of her high position at court. The person who appeared there was immediately imbued with the idea of a string of noble ancestors and the significance of the person he expected.  This was the very "aesthetic justification of one's being", proof of the importance and significance of the personality.

The peculiarity of the aestheticization of everyday life in the XVII century was that this expansion did not blur art, since art at that time was still perceived utilitarianly. If we go down the hierarchical ladder, then the aestheticization of everyday life as a lifestyle also comes to the circles of the poor bourgeoisie. For example, the model of a royal dinner, with fewer dishes and a modest setting, according to the principle of serving and serving, was the same in a bourgeois house. Special books are published, for example, "How to learn how to set the table correctly and manage services"[39, p. 19], which convey the tastes and aestheticized lifestyle of aristocrats to those who had the opportunity and wanted to imitate them. 

Not only at court or among the aristocracy, but literally in different strata of society, the craving for expensive silver cutlery, fine table linen is spreading. Baron de Gourville wrote in his memoirs in 1690 that silverware was very much in fashion: "Previously, for several years I noticed in my travels that all the keepers of pubs on passenger roads have spoons and forks made of silver, and some have bowls with jugs. That even in the smallest towns, most of the townspeople had silver spoons and forks"[40, p. 507]. An Italian traveler, a priest of Locatelia, visited the house of wine merchants and was amazed at the table setting with the finest white linen, which would have done honor to the prince[41, p.231]. Consequently, the aestheticization of everyday life as such does not necessarily lead to the devaluation of art, but, on the contrary, is able to raise everyday life to the level of art. 

Thus, based on the above material, we can assert that in the XVII century in France we see not only the artistic and aesthetic design of the subject-spatial environment, but also an absolutely obvious expansion of artistic life beyond art, when everyday life is likened to art, bodily needs such as sleep, nutrition, toilet are aestheticized and they are theatrical. 

The model or mechanism of the aestheticization of everyday life, created in the XVII century, persists for the next centuries, spreading across Europe, will reach Russia.  

 In 1736, Voltaire in "Le mondaine" summed up the aestheticization of everyday life in his humorous poem, he declares:

I love luxury as well as weaknesses

All the pleasures, all kinds of art

Neatness, taste, decorations

All noble people have these feelings

[…]

Mother of arts and beautiful creations

It brings us from its fruitful source

New needs and pleasures…

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First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The topic raised in the article is certainly important for understanding the essence of the 17th century, but in this case the question of the relevance of the designated problem is important: the author should show why it is necessary in the current century to remember the bygone time from the point of view of aestheticization and theatricalization of everyday life. Unfortunately, the author only described the relevance in general terms, which does not reflect the need to study the stated topic. Here it is not just necessary to state that history itself is interesting and does not lose its significance, but to point out the most similar points between the 17th and 21st centuries in understanding everyday life or in its course. Unfortunately, the author did not pay attention at all at the moment. The correctness of the methodological perspective of the work is also questionable: the author notes at the very beginning of the work that "aestheticization and theatricalization of everyday life are a multidimensional socio-cultural phenomenon" - this means that the emphasis is on a socio-cultural approach, but this is not the case, judging by the content of the article; in it, the author does not pay attention to this side of the study at all, and he focuses entirely on the aesthetic. Some of the author's opinions are controversial and need to be clarified. For example, the author believes that "today humanity is experiencing an aesthetic boom, when the aesthetic began to be perceived as an integral part of human everyday life ...", which can be argued: there is no aesthetic boom, but the leveling of aesthetic experience to the baser aspects of existence is observed almost everywhere. This judgment does not look quite clear in the context of the 17th century era: we are talking about the aesthetic boom "today", although the locus of the article is France of the 17th century! Instead of the much-needed analysis of scientific discourse on the topic, the author for some reason makes tentative attempts to appeal to positions that, in general, are not directly related to the topic of the work. So, for example, the author of the article, instead of a detailed consideration of aestheticization, refers to the category of aesthetic, which is not an independent subject of consideration in the article. The following phrase looks ridiculous from the point of view of the grammar of the Russian language: "First of all, it is worth turning to the interpretation of the aesthetic phenomenon, which "refers to one of the global problems of being" (phenomenon – what kind of word?), etc. The following author's phrase is also perplexing: "The aesthetic disrupts the daily way of life, decorates it and, no less importantly, causes feelings..." - I would like to ask how the aesthetic (the category of aesthetics is a scientific category) can suddenly decorate the way of life? The author clearly does not understand the problems of aesthetics, but it turns out that he seems to snatch a couple of key categories from its context that do not fit the concept of the article at all. In connection with aestheticization, the author uses the concept of aesthetic experience, which is the most difficult to understand and interpret in aesthetics and philosophy, however, the author uses it casually as a matter of course, apparently, understanding our everyday life or everyday life by aesthetic experience, which is fundamentally wrong. In this regard, the author should cite the positions of reputable researchers writing about aestheticization and make references to their works. It would be more correct. The interpretation proposed by the author himself does not look reasonable and seems very superficial, I would even say utilitarian. The author does not separate the concepts of everyday life and everyday life, although he actively uses one concept or another. By the way, quite often we find in the article, instead of aestheticization, such a word: "estheization". The author should have proofread his work before sending it to the editorial office. It is not entirely clear why the author primarily addresses the social aspect of aestheticization. Introduces a number of concepts, the content of which is not clarified: the gallant ideal, the ideal of man, moral efforts… The article is simply overflowing with such words, they make it difficult to perceive the material and move it very far from understanding the author's approach. To do this, at the beginning of the article it would be necessary to identify the research problem, the purpose of the article, and the tasks. There is none of this, and therefore it is not possible to get closer to understanding the concept proposed by the author. Serious processing of the material is needed.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study is stated by the author to be double ("aestheticization and theatricalization of everyday life in the XVII century in France"), which from strict classical positions is a violation of formal logic. Of course, in some cases, when it is impossible to describe the subject of research in any other way, they turn to a composite description, but this is not the case in the topic presented by the author. Aestheticization and theatricalization of everyday life in gallant France of the XVII century are related concepts, but still mean different phenomena. Moreover, the author himself understands theatricalization not in the generally accepted meaning (the use of theatrical, i.e., cliches and techniques copied from the stage in everyday behavior), but more broadly — as a game representing some kind of higher stage of aestheticization of everyday life. If aestheticization includes theatricalization, then it is not advisable to distinguish them in the title (besides, it is not customary to put a period at the end of the title). The second equally significant mistake is the vague definition of the geography of the studied subject in the introductory part of the article. The title compensates for this disadvantage to some extent, but from the introductory narrative it seems that the author is considering a phenomenon of global scale, and not European or purely French culture. We are talking about the error of the fuzzy distinction between the object and the subject of the study. The aestheticization of gallant France is part of the pan—European Renaissance, the secularization and humanization of culture, the beginning of which is associated with the formation of Italian aristocratic culture in the wake of the antique fascination of aristocrats with ancient Greek aesthetics (XIV–XVI centuries). Of course, gallant France under Louis XIV intercepts the palm of European superiority in luxury fashion, and it is this phenomenon in all its complexity that is the subject of the author's research — the aestheticization of French aristocratic culture in the XVII–XVIII centuries. The fuzzy distinction between the object and the subject of research makes the introductory part of the article heavier. In addition, the vague formulation of the task ("the study aims to identify the origins of the process of aestheticization of everyday life in Modern times and the expansion of time boundaries beyond its philosophical understanding in the XVIII century") misleads the reader about the subject of the study: "expansion ... beyond ... philosophical understanding" is an extremely broad and vague statement. In fact, the task is much more modest — the generalization of historical evidence about the transformation of gallant French culture in the historical process of humanization and secularization of secular European society. Then another drawback of the introduction is immediately highlighted — the lack of an exhaustive index of sources and methods of their analysis, although it is the author's selection of epistolary sources that is the strength of the work. The author's interpretation of the term "socialization" is also puzzling, which is quite stable in science, meaning the entry of an individual into the normative sphere of the dominant culture. The non-traditional interpretation of the term, as a rule, is explained and justified in the introduction, which, unfortunately, is not there. The author understands socialization as the inculturation of people (the change of cultural values and patterns of behavior) and things (the change of their symbolic value and appearance) — a phenomenon truly worthy of scientific attention, vividly describing a turning point, but in need of terminological clarification. Despite the confusion and heaviness of the introduction in the main part of the article, the author consistently reveals the influence of the aestheticization of gallant French society on court etiquette and material culture (using the example of architecture). Although the explanation that "this process was not massive, remaining elitist" is given only in the conclusion (the result of a vague definition of the subject of the study). The research methodology is anchored by a structural principle peculiar to the history of everyday life: the author describes the structure of the phenomenon of aestheticization as he understands it, and then reinforces the hypothesis put forward by analyzing epistolary sources. Weaknesses in the description of the structure of the phenomenon of aestheticization remain: 1) not a clear definition of the subject and object of research; 2) vague formulations of "socialization" and "secularization of art and its institutionalization"; 3) categorical statement of grounds — "based on numerous definitions of modern researchers." The strong point is the definition of aestheticization, following T. M. Shatunova, as a socio-cultural process equally characteristic of historical and modern societies, which emphasizes the relevance of his research on the example of a specific historical period. The relevance of the topic raised is undeniable due to the observations of various scientists on the aestheticization of modern consumer society. In this regard, the aestheticization of the everyday life of the leisure class in France during the time of Louis XIV allows us to see general trends in the intensification of property inequality in the wake of the fashion for luxury of the social elite. The scientific novelty of the article presented for consideration consists, first of all, in the original author's selection of epistolary sources and their structural interpretation. Based on the analysis of empirical material, the author confirms certain provisions of the theories of the leisure class by T. Veblen and symbolic capital by P. Bourdieu, although he does not pursue such a goal. In particular, the author's observation that the very way of life of the aristocratic society of Louis XIV of France becomes a work of art ("when everyday life is likened to art") deserves attention. The style of work is generally scientific, although there are a number of comments: 1) addressing colleagues like "M. V. Duminskaya" in the modern culture of scientific communication borders on a disrespectful form, the author will not find it difficult to use the respectful form "M. V. Duminskaya", and colleagues will be pleased; 2) the text should be subtracted for unnecessary spaces before punctuation marks and, conversely, the absence of spaces between sentences and square ones brackets of references; 3) centuries and years in the scientific style are usually abbreviated (century or centuries; G. or gg.); 4) there is a norm for using quotation marks inside quotation marks ("example in "example""); 5) the dash must be unified throughout the text, it is usually associated with the previous word with an unbroken space (ctrl + shift + space) and then it is written with a key combination (ctrl + alt + "minus" on the right keyboard). The structure of the work is generally acceptable, although it is advisable to strengthen the introductory part by specifying the boundaries of the subject and object of research, clarifying the author's terms. There are comments on the content of the text that require careful proofreading (for example: 1) the term "socio-cultural" is often used in a single spelling, and the word "as before" is hyphenated; 2) there are many examples of poorly coordinated sentences and phrases: "The purpose of the study is to analyze the historical material of the XVII century, demonstrating that the processes ...", "Under Nikonov S. B. under "universal aestheticization" ...", "... a gallant man of the first XVII century ...", "... individual qualities of a person become very important ...", "A social reception or a rout, a refined conversation or dinner that took place there required an impeccable frame for action", "... built in for Claude Lambert de Torigny", "... bathing with Diana's nymphs", etc.; 3) there are also typos: "stage paraphernalia", "serve as a separate house"; 4) when composing complex sentences, as when listing conditions and signs of aestheticization, sentences included in the general enumeration are separated from each other by a semicolon ";", and if a dot is used, then the new sentence is capitalized). The bibliography as a whole reveals the subject area of the study, but not all items of the description meet the requirements of GOST and the editorial board. It is necessary to eliminate inaccuracies in the paragraphs: 1, 8, 10, 17, 18, 19, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37. In addition, the bibliography completely omits mention of the works of scientists of the last 5 years, as if the author opens a completely unexplored field of research, which is not the case.
The appeal to opponents is generally correct, although quotations are mostly used as arguments and relate to the analysis of sources. Lack of discussion of the research results with colleagues (no links to publications over the past 5 years) casts doubt on the degree of scientific novelty of the study. Conclusion. The revision of the article, taking into account the comments of the reviewer, implies the interest of the readership of the journal "Philosophy and Culture" in it. Comments of the editor-in-chief dated 02/20/2022: "The author did not fully take into account the comments of the reviewers, but, nevertheless, the article was recommended by the editor for publication"