Jean-Pierre Louis de Fontanes

Jean-Pierre Louis de Fontanes commonly called Louis de Fontanes , born the March 6th 1757 with Niort and deceased the April 17th 1821, is a writer French.

Biography

His/her father Marcellin de Fontanes, inspector of manufactures with Niort, married Jeanne de Sède, a widow having three girls, who required that the two boys, born from their union, Dominique born in 1751 and Louis born in 1757 be baptized, because it was enthusiastic Catholique. The father of Fontanes was of Protestant origin. Louis de Fontanes accepted a very strict education lavished by priests of spirituality Janséniste with Foye-Monjault, then it returned in his parents and continued his schooling with the college of the Oratoire of Niort.

It lost all its family in a few years: his/her brother died in 1772, his father in 1774, then his mother in 1776. Family friends collected it and tried to help it so that it takes the continuation of his father, but that did not interest it. In 1777, it went up to Paris in order to be devoted to the writing which was its passion. It published its poems and its first productions in the Almanach of the Muses and the Mercure de France .

It met the aunt of the future empress Joséphine, Fanny de Beauharnais, which presented it to his/her lover Claude Joseph Dorat, poet with the mode which introduced it into the literary circles. He wrote much and met a certain success, becoming thus the friend of the philosopher Joseph Joubert, of the poet André Chénier, as well as Chateaubriand.

At the beginning of the Revolution, being rather moderate, it was in favor of an enlightened monarchy. In 1792, it was withdrawn with Lyon and married there Chantal Cathelin, wealthy heiress. From this union were born two girls: Imberthe (1793), deceased of variola in 1794, and Christine (1801). This marriage put an end to its financial problems. But Lyon, besieged, was with the hands of the royalists. Survivor of a bombardment of the city by the republican troops carried out by Joseph Fouché, it could flee in time to hide in Normandy, then it returned to Paris. He became member of the Institut after the Chute of Robespierre.

The 18 fructidor 1797, it again had to flee. It took refuge in England, where it found his friend Chateaubriand, emigrated since 1792.

It returned to Paris after the 18 brumaire, became critical with the Mercure de France and gained the favor of the First consul Napoleon Bonaparte. During the re-establishment of the studies, it was named professor of the humanities to the Collège of the Four-Nations, and member of the Institut of France.

It became:

appointed in 1802,
member of the French Academy in 1803
member of the legislative Body in 1804, became president in 1805.
first Large Master of the University in 1808, it created the Lycée S.
senator in 1810.

Its work as Grand Master of the University is important. Indeed, helped of Joseph Joubert, Ambroise Rendu, Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard and Philibert Guéneau de Mussy, inter alia, it entirely reorganized the French school system, since the primary classes to the University. It created modern divisions of the studies, took care of the quality of the programs and of teaching, created the stations of General inspectors and put qualified men at the head of the services of the Instruction.

Napoleon i named it Count d' Empire in 1808. It was secretly royalist, but it served the emperor with fidelity. This one, under its influence, made it possible Chateaubriand to return of exile.

The April 14th 1814, Napoleon had to abdicate. A few days later, the April 22nd, Louis de Fontanes harangua the Count d' Artois, then the May 3rd, it made a speech in favor of the new king Louis XVIII. This one appointed it minister, member of the private council, Pair of France, and decorated it with the Large cord of the Légion of honor.

After the Hundred Days, the June 22nd 1815, Louis de Fontanes came to accommodate the king in Saint-Denis. The king Louis XVIII did it marquis the August 31st 1817.

Reached vascular disorders, he died the April 17th 1821. He is buried with the Cimetière of the Father-Lachaise beside the marshal Ney. His wife died on November 24th 1829, her Christine daughter the November 12th 1873 without descent.

Work

Mr. de Fontanes left few poetries, but they are characterized by elegance and the purity from the style. Among those, one can retain:

the forest of Navarre (1779);
the Orchard , 1788;
the Day of Dead the , imitated Thomas Gray, 1796;
the Song of July 14th, 1800 1800;
the Tombs of Saint-Denis , 1817;
a translation of the Test on the man of Alexander Pope, 1783 and 1821.
Chartreuse of Paris that Chateaubriand will publish altered, in genius of Christianity ;
the day of dead ;

song of the bard ;
Test on astronomy ;
the rustic House ;
saved Greece …

He worked a long time with a great poem epic, the delivered Greece , which he could not complete.

The collection of its speeches was published in 1821; one notices there the Praise George Washington, (1800). Its Works were published in 1839 by Holy-Beuve, in 2 volumes in-8, according to its manuscripts. The majority of its works were published after its death at Hachette by his/her Christine daughter in 1839.

Holy-Beuve wrote of him: " Fontanes represents exactly the type of the taste and the French poetic talent in their purity and their atticism, without mixture of nothing from abroad; taste racinien, fénelonien, Greek per moment. "

External bonds

well documented Biography.

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