Francis Poictevin

Francis Paul Édouard Adrien Poictevin (27 June 1854 - 6 May 1904) was a French writer, dandy and novelist.

Born to the banker Paul Poictevin in Paris, his novels amplified the processes of "artistic writing".

He was a disciple of Edmond de Goncourt, friend and confident of Joris-Karl Huysmans, but turned more and more towards mysticism and madness.

Rich and eccentric, he was one of the models for his friend Joris-Karl Huysmans's character Des Esseintes in À rebours.

He sank slowly into silence from 1897 onwards - his fascination for Christian mysticism advocating "annihilation into God" led him into near-silence.

Portrait by Jacques-Émile Blanche , 1887. National Gallery (London) .
Portrait by Frédéric-Auguste Cazals .