Parnassians

Parnassians A movement in French literature, taking its name from the revue Le Parnasse contemporain, founded in 1866, containing poems by Leconte de Lisle and Gautier among others. It is a reaction against the excesses of Romanticism and perceived societal decadence, calling upon classical antiquity (specifically Greek), and forging a style of perfect verbal technique and impersonality. »Art for art's sake« is the group's motto, and visual, descriptive beauty is valued more highly than emotive…