About
François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) was a French writer, diplomat and statesman, regarded as the father of French Romanticism. Born into an impoverished noble family in Brittany, he fled revolutionary France and traveled in North America, drawing inspiration for his early tales. His major work, The Genius of Christianity (1802), contributed to the post-revolutionary Catholic revival. He introduced the 'mal du siècle' with René (1805), profoundly influencing the 19th-century literary generation. He also pursued a political career, becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Restoration. His Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb, published posthumously, are considered his masterpiece.
* 1768-09-04 — † 1848-07-04
Major works
- Atala (1801)novel
- Le Génie du christianisme (1802)essay
- René (1805)novel
- Les Martyrs (1809)novel
- Mémoires d'outre-tombe (1849)memoirs
Key milestones
- 1791Fled revolutionary France and traveled in North America.
- 1811Elected to the Académie française, but only took his seat in 1816.
- 1822Appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of France.
Themes
RomanticismChristianityMelancholyTravelMemory
Sources: britannica.com · heritage.bnf.fr