Octave Mirbeau was born on 16 February 1848 in Trévières. A French novelist, playwright, art critic and journalist, Mirbeau was known for his fierce, satirical writing. His novels include Le Calvaire, The Diary of a Chambermaid and The Torture Garden, which expose hypocrisy, cruelty and social injustice through harsh, often shocking narratives. As a critic he was an early champion of painters such as Monet, Pissarro, Van Gogh and Cézanne, and of the sculptor Rodin. He took the side of Alfred Dreyfus in the affair that divided France, and he was close to anarchist circles. His comedy Business Is Business was a great success at the Comédie-Française in 1903.
Before and after
- from 12 January 1848 to 4 October 1849European Revolutions of 1848
- 24 January 1848California Gold Rush
- 24 January 1848Gold is found at Sutter's Mill: the California Gold Rush begins
- 2 February 1848Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- 16 February 1848Birth of Octave Mirbeau
- 21 February 1848Publication of The Communist Manifesto
- from 22 February 1848 to 2 December 1848French Revolution of 1848
- 23 February 1848Death of John Quincy Adams
- from 24 February 1848 to 2 December 1852French Second Republic
More in Art, literature & culture
- 10 August 1793Construction of Louvre Museum
- 1 November 1800Construction of White House
- 1886Statue of Liberty
- 1894Radio
- c. 1900sRise of modernism
- 1907Rise of cubism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.