French writer (1695-1758), pioneer of the epistolary novel in the 18th century. She is best known for her Letters from a Peruvian Woman, a major work of Enlightenment literature that critiques French society through the discerning gaze of an exotic heroine.
Françoise de Graffigny(1695 — 1758)
Françoise de Graffigny
France
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- 1747: publication of Letters from a Peruvian Woman, a considerable success that went through multiple editions and adaptations
- Use of the outsider's perspective to critique French society: a literary strategy characteristic of the Enlightenment
- Reflections on the condition of women and their education, proto-feminist themes ahead of their time
- Regular attendance at Parisian salons and collaboration with the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
- 1755: publication of Cénie, another significant novel that consolidated her reputation as a writer
Works & Achievements
An epistolary novel telling the story of Zilia, an Inca princess torn from Peru and brought to France. A major work of the Enlightenment, it critiques the condition of women and French society through a foreign gaze.
A sentimental comedy in five acts performed at the Comédie-Française. A great popular success, this play contributed to the rise of bourgeois drama by blending emotion and morality.
Graffigny's last comedy, performed shortly before her death. The failure of this play deeply affected the author, who was already weakened by illness.
A collection of more than 2,500 letters, primarily addressed to François-Antoine Devaux. An exceptional document on the literary, social, and private life of the 18th century.
A short story published in the collection Cinq nouvelles. This work of fiction reflects Graffigny's interest in foreign cultures and brief narrative forms.
Anecdotes
Françoise de Graffigny endured a disastrous marriage with François Huguet de Graffigny, a violent and spendthrift man. After years of mistreatment, she obtained a legal separation in 1723, which was extremely rare for a woman at that time.
In December 1738, Graffigny stayed at the Château de Cirey with Voltaire and Émilie du Châtelet. The visit turned into a scandal when Voltaire accused her of having circulated passages from his La Pucelle d'Orléans. She was publicly humiliated and expelled under distressing circumstances.
Letters from a Peruvian Woman, published in 1747, was an immediate success and was reprinted more than forty times in the 18th century. The novel was translated into several languages and inspired numerous sequels written by other authors.
Her play Cénie, performed at the Comédie-Française in 1750, was a resounding triumph. The audience wept abundantly, and the play ran for twenty-five consecutive performances — a considerable success for the era.
Graffigny hosted a literary salon in Paris on the rue Saint-Hyacinthe, where philosophers and writers such as Helvétius, Turgot, and the young Diderot gathered. This modest but influential salon contributed to the spread of Enlightenment ideas.
Primary Sources
Whatever love of novelty may be attributed to the French, I am persuaded that no one will ever accuse me of having indulged too much in it by depicting customs foreign to us.
I am here like a criminal. Voltaire heaped the most dreadful reproaches upon me in front of everyone. I am in a state that I cannot describe to you.
Virtue has no need of foreign ornament; it pleases by itself, and its triumph is all the more beautiful for being simple.
This play, Graffigny's last dramatic work, was performed at the Comédie-Française but did not achieve the same success as Cénie.
Key Places
Graffigny's hometown where she spent her youth and unhappy marriage at the court of Duke Léopold of Lorraine.
The residence of Voltaire and Émilie du Châtelet where Graffigny stayed in 1738–1739, an episode that profoundly marked her life.
The neighborhood where Graffigny settled and held her literary salon, a gathering place for philosophers and writers of the Enlightenment.
The theatre where Cénie was performed in 1750 to immense success, establishing Graffigny as a dramatic author.
Residence of the Lorraine court where Graffigny mingled with aristocratic society before her departure for Paris.
Typical Objects
Small travel piece of furniture containing ink, quills and paper. Graffigny maintained an abundant correspondence, sometimes writing several letters a day to her friend Devaux.
Knotted cords used by the Incas to communicate. They play a central role in Letters from a Peruvian Woman as the means of expression of the heroine Zilia.
Small decorative case for snuff tobacco, a very common accessory in the 18th-century salons that Graffigny frequented regularly.
Portable candle holder used for light during late writing sessions. Graffigny often wrote deep into the night, complaining of her poor eyesight.
Correspondence was sealed with wax to ensure its confidentiality. The Cirey affair cruelly reminded Graffigny of the importance of epistolary secrecy.
Indispensable accessory for women in Parisian salons. It served as much to cool oneself as to punctuate conversation through a codified gestural language.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
Françoise de Graffigny woke up relatively late, like most Parisian men of letters. She would have a hot chocolate or a coffee, fashionable drinks in the 18th century. The morning was often devoted to reading her correspondence and drafting replies, particularly to her faithful friend Devaux.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, she received visitors in her modest apartment or called on friends and patrons. She frequented literary and philosophical circles, discussing newly published works. She sometimes attended rehearsals of her plays at the Comédie-Française.
Evening
Evenings were devoted to suppers in the company of learned friends or to theatrical performances. She held her own salon where writers and philosophers gathered. Late at night, she would return to writing, often complaining of fatigue and eye trouble.
Food
Graffigny's diet was that of a Parisian woman of letters of modest means: soups, stews, white bread, and poultry. Hot chocolate and coffee were her favourite drinks. She frequently suffered from health problems she attributed to a poor diet and financial precarity.
Clothing
Graffigny wore the typical dress of a woman of minor nobility in the 18th century: a robe à la française with panniers, a boned bodice, and a muslin fichu. Her wardrobe was modest compared to that of the great ladies of the court, and her letters bear witness to recurring financial worries about dressing properly.
Housing
After settling in Paris in 1739, Graffigny lived in several modest lodgings, notably on the rue Saint-Hyacinthe. Her apartments were simply furnished, with a study cluttered with books and papers. She regularly complained about the cold, the noise, and the cramped conditions of her accommodations.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Visual Style
Un style visuel rococo intimiste évoquant les intérieurs parisiens des années 1740, entre élégance modeste et atmosphère littéraire, dans des tons pastel rehaussés de dorures.
Sound Ambience
L'atmosphère sonore d'un salon littéraire parisien du XVIIIe siècle, mêlant conversations raffinées, musique de clavecin et bruits feutrés de la vie mondaine.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Lettres d'une Péruvienne
1747
La Fille d'Aristide
1758
Correspondance de Madame de Graffigny
1716-1758
Nouvelle espagnole
1745
