Pierre Larousse began publishing the 17-volume 'Grand Dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle' in Paris, France. Combining a dictionary with an expansive general encyclopedia, Larousse designed the work as a fierce weapon for secular republicanism, loudly attacking the Catholic Church, royalist politics, and the authoritarian structures of the Second French Empire. It became a highly controversial bestseller, famous for its energetic, opinionated prose and defense of scientific secularism.

Larousse's highly expressive, secular encyclopedia directly captured the changing artistic landscape of 19th-century France. Its irreverent tone and scientific materialism left a deep mark on French Realist and Symbolist poets, who were actively challenging conservative bourgeois literary aesthetics.