CLADEL

cladel, leon (1835-1892), french novelist, was born at montauban (tarn-et-garonne) on the 13th of march 1835. the son of an artisan, he studied law at toulouse and became a solicitor's clerk in paris. he made a reputation in a limited circle by his first book, _les martyrs ridicules_ (1862), a novel for which charles baudelaire, whose literary disciple cladel was, wrote a preface. he then returned to his native district of quercy, where he produced a series of pictures of peasant life in _eral le dompteur_ (1865), _le nomme qouael_ (1868) and other volumes. returning to paris he published the two novels which are generally acknowledged as his best work, _le bouscassie_ (1869) and _la fete votive de saint bartholomee porte-glaive_ (1872). _une maudite_ (1876) was judged dangerous to the public morals and cost its author a month's imprisonment. other works by cladel are _les va-nu-pieds_ (1873), a volume of short stories; _n'a qu'un oeil_ (1882), _urbains et ruraux_ (1884), _gueux de marque_ (1887), and the posthumous _juive errante_ (1897). he died at sevres on the 20th of july 1892. see _la vie de leon cladel_ (paris, 1905), by his daughter judith cladel, containing also an article on cladel by edmond picard, a complete list of his works, and of the critical articles on his work.