Jules Laforgue between “instinct” and “reflection,” or how to be untrained

Laforgue’s intellectual training was a process of emancipation, of liberation from the institutional and school framework. After failing the baccalauréat, his encounters and readings contributed to the development of his individuality. This article highlights the role of important intercessors, Ephrussi, Bourget, and Hartmann, in the thoughtful blossoming of a truly instinctive voice.