Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition

Joseph Joubert

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I

Name: The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Author: Joseph Joubert

Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.

Explore the Lexicon

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume IWatelet: Poem on Painting. · Entry 2631

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

French Page · Branch 2631 of 3781

Watelet: Poem on Painting. · Entry 2631

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5261

[…]2 septembre

Watelet : Poème de la Peinture.

Il a raison; chez les peuples très vêtus le mot beauté ne peut guères signifier, comme il le dit, que « la meilleure conformation de la tête, du bras et du pied ». (Pag. 98.)

« La véritable poésie... contribue ainsi que la sculpture et la peinture à conserver les idées simples et primitives. » Et à ce sujet remarquons qu’il ne faut pas seulement qu’il y ait dans un poëme de la poésie d’images, mais aussi de la poésie d’idées.

Il n’est pas vrai que la vieillesse soit nécessairement dépourvue de grâces. Elle peut en avoir dans les regards, dans le langage, le sourire, etc. « L’unité d’action et la franchise » requises pour produire la grâce (selon l’auteur) peuvent se trouver à tout âge (quoi qu’il dise) entre l’esprit et les paroles, entre notre âme et nos manières. (Vid. pag. 102.)

Il est possible que les couleurs ne soient pas les mêmes pour tous les yeux, mais les rapports d’une couleur à une autre, leur opposition ou leur harmonie se font uniformément sentir à tout le monde. Ce qu’il y a de musical et de mathématique en elles est invariable et indestructible. (Voyez à ce sujet la pag. 116.)

« Dans la frayeur... » Tout ce qu’on en décrit est admirablement exprimé dans le personnage de Raphaël qui tient le possédé. Voyez son tableau de la Transfiguration.

Des traits indécis caractérisent l’enfance. Où ils manquent, il n’y a point d’enfans, mais de petits hommes.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: Watelet: Poem on Painting.

p. 5262

September […]2

Watelet: Poem on Painting.

He is right; among heavily clothed peoples, the word beauty can scarcely mean, as he says, anything but “the best conformation of the head, arm, and foot.” (Page 98.)

“True poetry... contributes, like sculpture and painting, to preserving simple and primitive ideas.” And on this subject let us observe that a poem must contain not only a poetry of images but also a poetry of ideas.

It is not true that old age is necessarily devoid of graces. It can have them in glances, in language, the smile, etc. “Unity of action and frankness,” required to produce grace (according to the author), can be found at any age (whatever he may say) between the mind and words, between our soul and our manners. (See page 102.)

It is possible that colors are not the same for all eyes, but the relations of one color to another, their opposition or harmony, make themselves uniformly felt by everyone. What is musical and mathematical in them is invariable and indestructible. (On this subject, see page 116.)

“In fright...” Everything described of it is admirably expressed in Raphael’s figure holding the possessed person. See his painting of the Transfiguration.

Indefinite features characterize childhood. Where they are absent, there are no children, but little men.

S2.Source editor’s annotationThis piece, concerning Watelet’s Poem on Painting, is not in the notebooks but in a small separate booklet.

T264.The printed Watelet heading and Beaunier’s source annotation identify this six-paragraph piece as coming from a separate booklet. Its scope ends at his Return to the notebook note on page 350. The page references inside these paragraphs concern the work being read, not the 1938 source pages.

T291.Franchise here includes unforced openness and directness of expression, not only candid speech. Watelet’s discussion of grace connects it with the simple, unconstrained movements of soul and body. Frankness is retained with that wider sense; Joubert disputes the exclusion of old age from grace.

T265.Possédé is retained as possessed, the description Joubert uses. The English does not replace his term with a medical diagnosis or add an identification absent from the paragraph.

T266.Indécis describes features not sharply defined or settled. Indefinite preserves that quality instead of attributing indecision to a child’s character.

About This Reading Edition

Joubert’s notebooks return to the work of thinking and writing, the demands of friendship, and questions of faith, beauty and conduct. This edition pairs the French with a new English translation, preserving the order of the chosen source and the unfinished character of its fragments. Dates and source references allow readers to follow a thought through time or return to its printed context.

Historical Text and Translation

The French text follows André Beaunier’s 1938 edition of Les Carnets de Joseph Joubert, published by Gallimard from Joubert’s autograph manuscripts. Volume I presents the entries on printed pages 32–475. French and English are aligned paragraph by paragraph, retaining the source order, printed dates and page references so readers can return to the facsimile.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared this new English translation directly from the French, preserving Joubert’s distinctions, recurring images, ambiguities and unfinished thoughts. Translator’s notes clarify wording, references and uncertain readings: Essential keeps notes that help explain a passage, while All includes technical detail. Annotations from the 1938 source edition remain distinct from the new translator’s notes.

Rights

The linked facsimile records identify the French source as public domain in the United States. The new English translation and editorial notes are © 2026 Diotimos, with source annotations and new editorial contributions credited separately. This edition pairs the complete French notebooks with an independent English translation, preserving the distinction between Joubert’s text and its accompanying notes.