About
Sébastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort, born in 1741 in Clermont-Ferrand and died in 1794 in Paris, was a French writer and moralist. After studying at the Collège des Grassins, he gained recognition in 1769 by winning the Académie française prize for his Éloge de Molière. A successful playwright, he was elected to the Académie française in 1781. An enthusiastic supporter of the Revolution, he took part in the storming of the Bastille and became secretary of the Jacobin Club. Disillusioned by the Reign of Terror, he attempted suicide in 1793 and died from his injuries. His major work, Maximes, pensées, caractères et anecdotes, published posthumously in 1796, established him as a master of the aphorism.
* 1740-04-06 — † 1794-04-13
Major works
- La Jeune Indienne (1764)comedy
- Le Marchand de Smyrne (1770)comedy
- Mustapha et Zeangir (1776)tragedy
- Éloge de Molière (1769)speech
- Maximes, pensées, caractères et anecdotes (1796)collection of maxims
Key milestones
- 1769Won the Académie française prize for his Éloge de Molière.
- 1781Elected to the Académie française.
- 1789Took part in the storming of the Bastille and became secretary of the Jacobin Club.
Themes
human naturesociety and its hypocrisiesmoralityFrench Revolutionaphorism
Sources: britannica.com · academie-francaise.fr · catdir.loc.gov