Lemonnier, Camille

(kämē´yə ləmônyā´), 1844–1913, Belgian novelist and art critic. After abandoning law, Lemonnier published his first work, Salon de Bruxelles (1863), a collection of art essays. His novels, including his masterpiece, Le Mâle (1881), vividly describe rural life and reveal a pantheistic outlook. L'Arche (1894) is one of a trio of novels defending female individuality. His other works include the novels Happo-Chair (1886) and Au Coeur frais de la forêt (1900).