Les Batouala illustrés ou une question de cases et de casques
Dynamiques de resémantisation iconique d’un roman « in-européen »
Abstract
This study examines the three illustrated luxury editions of René Maran’s seminal 1921 anti-colonial novel Batouala, created by Alexandre Iacovleff (1928), Miguel Covarrubias (1932), and Paul-Émile Bécat (1947). Analyzing the dialogue between text and image, it argues that the paratextual illustrations are not mere decorations but active sites of ‘resemanticization’. The analysis demonstrates how the iconography oscillates between a subtle subversion of colonial norms – through the appropriation of indigenous Oubanguian motifs like the garaba headdress and murals – and an eventual assimilation into colonial discourse, particularly in Bécat’s 1947 edition. The shifting visual representations of key elements, such as the ga’nza ceremony, reveal a continuous negotiation and transformation of the novel’s political meaning across different cultural and temporal contexts.
Presentato: 23 Giugno 2025 | Accettato: 17 Ottobre 2025 | Pubblicato Prossimamente | Lingua: fr
Keywords René Maran • Batouala • Iconic Resemanticization • Colonial Intermediality • Paratext
Copyright © 2025 Silvia Riva. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Tol/2499-5975/2025/01/003