About
Marie de Gournay (1565-1645), self-taught, discovered Montaigne's Essays and became his adopted daughter. After his death, she edited the posthumous 1595 edition. She published feminist treatises such as Equality of Men and Women (1622) and The Ladies' Grievance (1626), advocating for women's education. Her collected works, Les Advis (1641), were supported by Richelieu. A figure in Marguerite de Valois's salon, she contributed to the early formation of the Académie française.
* 1565-10-06 — † 1645-07-13
Major works
- Le Proumenoir de Monsieur de Montaigne (1594)novel
- Égalité des hommes et des femmes (1622)treatise
- Grief des dames (1626)treatise
- Les Advis ou les presens de la Demoiselle de Gournay (1641)collected works
- Apologie pour celle qui escrit (1641)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1595Publishes the posthumous edition of Montaigne's Essays.
- 1622Publishes Equality of Men and Women.
- 1641Publishes her collected works with support from Richelieu.
Themes
women's educationgender equalityliterary criticismself-defensetranslation
Sources: oxfordbibliographies.com · iep.utm.edu