Une rencontre presque physique. Traduire Flaubert en néerlandais

This article presents the history of the Dutch translations of Flaubert’s works, placed in a wider literary and cultural context. The fact that the first translations appeared relatively late (around the turn of the 20th century) may be ascribed to persistent moral objections against French realism. But mentalities gradually evolvent and Flaubert came to be recognized as one of the modern classics of European literature. All his major works have been published in several Dutch versions, which makes him one of the most translated French authors. We will discuss a few significant translations of his work, leading to a detailed analysis of the four Dutch versions of Madame Bovary.