Theophile Gautier, a French author, born in Tarbes, Aug. 31, 1811, died in Paris, Oct. 23, 1872. He was educated at the college of Charlemagne, on leaving which he entered the studio of Rioult to study painting; but, discouraged at the feebleness of his first attempts, he turned to literature, and became an ardent disciple of the school of Victor Hugo. His first volume of poetry, published in 1830, was followed in 1832 by Albertus, a legend in verse. He then wrote a series of articles on the poets of the time of Louis XIII., which were collected and published in 1844 under the title of Les grotesques. In 1836 he began to write the articles on theatres and fine arts in the Presse, and at the same time was a contributor to the Revue de Paris, the Musee des families, and other publications. He also wrote numerous novels, poems, and books of travel. The most celebrated of his novels are Mademoiselle de Mau-pin (1835), Fortunio (1838), Lcs roues innocents and Militona (1847), Le capitaine Fra-casse (1863), La peau de tigre (1865), Spirite (1866), and Menagerie intime (1869). Besides the poems already mentioned, he published La comedie de la mort (1838) and Emaux et ca-mees (1852). Among his books of travel are Tralos Monies (1843), Zigzags (1845), and Constantinople (1854). He made three visits to Russia by the invitation of the emperor Alexander II., and prepared, in collaboration with M. Richebourg, Tresors d'art de la Russie an-cienne et moderne, published under the auspices of the Russian government (fob, with photographs, 1860-'63). He wrote the librettos for the ballets Giselle (1841), La Peri (1843), Gemma (1854), and Sacountala (1858). His connection with the Presse as dramatic and art critic continued for 20 years, and at its end he became (1856) literary editor of the Moniteur Universel, and in 1869 of the Journal Officiel. His best critical articles were collected and published in 1859 under the title Histoire de Vart dramatique en France depuis vingt-cinq ans (6 vols). He received a pension in 1863, but was repeatedly refused admission to the academy.-See Theophile Gautier, souvenirs intimes, by Ernest Feydeau (Paris, 1874).