The publication of Brizeux’s Marie at the end of 1831 marked a turning point in the representation of Brittany. By setting his elegies recounting his amorous childhood encounters with a mischievous peasant girl in Arzano, a rural village in Finistère, the poet was showcasing a uniquely Breton scene and largely unknown bucolic spaces. He seems to have been keen to paint scenes that would allow the reader to discover the beauty of the landscapes and village life. In short, he was presenting an aesthetic and already social vision. In the early 19th century, this ‘homeland’ theme made a hitherto unspecified contribution to Breton literature. The article begins by identifying the most significant moments in Brizeux’s intellectual, literary and artistic life and then focuses on his rootedness in his native soil through an examination of the Bretonness of his sensibility and his desire to familiarise the reader with his homeland. His innovative yet primordial approach from his very first poetic work onwards made a powerful contribution to putting Brittany on the map.