Émile Zola was born on April 2, 1840, in Paris, France, to an Italian engineer father. He studied at the Collége Bourbon in Provence, where his schoolmate and friend was Paul Cezanne. In 1858, Zola returned to Paris and attended the Lycée Saint-Louis, graduating in 1862. He began his writing career by working at clerical jobs and later became a literary columnist for a Parisian newspaper.
Zola is best known for his monumental novel cycle, "Les Rougon-Macquart", which consisted of twenty novels that explored Parisian society during the French Second Empire under Napoleon III and after the Franco-Prussian War. His work was influenced by the theory of hereditary determinism, which emphasized the impact of genetic and environmental factors on human behavior.
As the founder of the Naturalist movement in 19th-century literature, Zola's approach was characterized by scrupulous descriptions of ordinary people's lives. His notable novels, including "L'assommoir", "Nana", and "Germinal", showcased his concerns with both scientific and artistic issues, as well as his stances on social reform.
Zola was a prominent figure in the Parisian intellectual elite, known for his bon vivant lifestyle and his connections to other notable writers, such as Edmond de Goncourt, Alphonse Daudet, Ivan Turgenev, and Gustave Flaubert. He was also a strong supporter of the Third Republic and was elected to the Legion of Honour.
Zola's novel "L'Oeuvre" (1886) caused a stir in the Parisian art world, as it featured a protagonist inspired by several artists, including Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet, and Claude Monet. The novel also portrayed Zola himself and his friend Gustave Flaubert.
Zola's friendship with Cezanne was a significant influence on his work, and his novel "L'Oeuvre" was a testament to their close bond. However, Cezanne took the novel's depiction of his inner struggles and artistic anxieties too personally, and the two men never reconciled after the novel's publication.
In 1898, Zola risked his career by defending army Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer who was wrongly convicted of treason. Zola's open letter, "J'Accuse", published in the Paris daily "L'Aurore", accused the French government of anti-Semitism and sparked a major controversy. Zola was brought to trial for libel and was eventually convicted, but he managed to escape to England.
Zola continued to defend Dreyfus, who was imprisoned on Devil's Island, and his efforts ultimately led to Dreyfus' acquittal and exoneration. Zola's involvement in the Dreyfus affair cemented his reputation as a champion of justice and a defender of the oppressed.
Zola died on September 29, 1902, from carbon monoxide poisoning, which was initially attributed to a stopped chimney, but the exact cause of his death remained a mystery. He was initially buried in the Cimetiere de Montmartre in Paris, but his remains were later moved to the Pantheon in Paris in 1908.
