Author: Saša Šmulja
University of Banja Luka
Translated from Serbian by Elitsa Marinova
Abstract: The paper explores the life and the literary works of Antun Gustav Matoš in that period of European cultural life at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, often referred to as Belle époque. He often considered himself as ‘a child of the elder 19th century and an old man of the yonger 20th century.’ The period between 1871 and 1914 includes several decades of peace and stability among thegreat powers of the European continent. Through a comparative approach analysis to this period in the European context, we review the essential facts related to the cultural and artistic life of this age, to its scientific and technological progress and prosperity, as well as to the socio-political relations among the European nations at that time, which definitely has influenced the existing cultural trends. The life path of Antun Gustav Matoš (1873-1914) almost coincides with the development of this age of stability and prosperity, but also with numerous contradictions that have left a visible trace in his literary and intellectual works.
Key words: Antun Gustav Matoš, Belle époque, literature, culture, comparative research analysis of South Slavic literature
Published in: Slavyanski dialozi, 2015, 16