Gerard de Nerval and his pet lobster on a leash.

Gerard de Nerval was a friend of Charles Baudelaire, Gustave Courbet, Henri Murger, Champfleury, Theolphile Gautier, Nadar and their whole Cafe Momus group. Arthur Moss describes de Nerval in his book The Legend of the Latin Quarter as " a charming, pathetic man who frequented Cafe Momus between visits to Dr. Blanche's sanatorium for the insane."

Gerard de Nerval and his pet lobster on a leash. A lobster, he stated, was serious-minded and quiet, didn't scratch or bark like a dog, and knew all of the secrets of the deep! de Nerval's self-appointed mission was to combat Philistinism, which he believed enslaved the common human being into the chains and bondage of mediocrity. He dedicated his life to art and living an artistic life and the rejection of conventional culture and society norms.

Gerard de Nerval's death by suicide was unexpected by his bohemian brothers and sisters. They were shocked and grieved terribly. He was discovered hanged by his necktie from a picket fence. Charles Monselet declared: "Poor Gerard! An erudite madman!" de Nerval described his tortuous psychological ailments in writing during his saner moments. He lived a life tortured by symptoms of a psychologically disturbed mind, yet he loved and cherished life. He loved life! The day his death was announced in the newspapers, his own writings were coincidentally published as well. de Nerval had recorded hourly the insane, tortuous evening prior to his death: " I dined this evening in a boulevard cafe and amused myself by throwing gold and silver pieces in the air...I picked a quarrel with a messanger who wore a silver plaque on his chest and who I insisted was the Duc de Bourgogne..."

Again, this genius of poetry's self-appointed mission was to combat Philistinism, which he believed enslaved the common human being into the chains and bondage of mediocrity. He dedicated his life to art and living an artistic life and the rejection of conventional culture and society norms. I feel this mission is more important than ever in the 21st century. de Nerval's life and poetry is too important for a short and I plan on dissecting it line by line, so I will return to his legacy later. Now I am still for the time being hypnotized by the writings of Baudelaire and then I I want to concentrate on painting and thoughts of Gustave Courbet and the photography of Nadar.