Artist at Work

Artist at Work: Narrative Technique in Chrétien de Troyes, Volume 1, is a scholarly study in literary criticism focusing on the most influential vernacular writer of the 12th-century renaissance. Evelyn Mullally examines how Chrétien de Troyes utilized his position under noble patronage to shape the courtly literature of his era. The text analyzes the foundational elements of early Arthurian romance, including the earliest versions of the Grail legend and the stories of Lancelot and Guinevere.

This volume provides a detailed technical analysis of specific works, including Erec et Enide and Cliges. Mullally explores narrative continuity, the technique of alternation, and the role of the omniscient narrator in Yvain: Le Chevalier au Lion. By evaluating the manipulation of obstacles and the internalization of narratives in Le Chevalier de la Charrette, this literary criticism work clarifies the structural sophistication of medieval French storytelling.