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The French Salons
The French Salons
The British literary salon owes much to
the foundation of such social gatherings in France.
By mid-18th century, salons had become an institution
in French society; these meetings became the major channel
of communication among intelligent, aristocratic people
– especially those with enough leisure to enjoy
the benefits of these luxurious meetings. These meetings
tackled important concerns and provided the main source
of information, serving at once as the newspaper, journal,
literary society and university for many of the attendees.
This image depicts French salonneires preparing to host
a social meeting. These types of women are credited
with providing role models for the British Bluestockings.
Two French women are primarily
credited with the formation of the French literary salon.
The first, Mme. Rambouillet, a frail aristocratic woman,
began hosting gatherings at her home because she was
too ill to attend public meetings. She also cared little
for the masculinist manners of the public sphere; in
order to redevelop and reform the social gathering,
Mme. Rambouillet assembled meetings for discourse among
people of intelligence, breeding and fashion, who met
informally for conversation and intellectual exchange
at her home.
Another founder was Mme. De Stael, the
daughter of a Swiss banker, who began hosting parties
in France with the ideal that discourse among intellectuals
could lead to reformative and productive activities.
To this end, Mme. De Stael entertained philosophers
who discussed and suggested revolutionary principles
designed to alter the existing political regime. She
provided others with the opportunity to explore the
questions of the day, and assisted them in developing
well-informed and interesting thoughts that could potentially
impact the way people lived in 18th century France.
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