The French writer, journalist, and bohemian Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) was part of Victor Hugo's close circle of friends and was one of the first authors to advocate the theory of l'art pour l'art, or art for art's sake. In 1835, he published his first novel, 'Mademoiselle Maupin.' It narrates, through a series of letters, the erotic adventures of a young woman who, disguised as a man, seeks to realize her romantic ideal beyond traditional gender roles.