The French Women Who Promoted Civilization Through Salons
The women’s salons set up before the French Revolution promoted the Enlightenment movement. Not only literary and philosophical topics were discussed here but also etiquette was taught.
Poets, writers, painters, philosophers, and scientists must meet so that they can exchange their thoughts and ideas.
There were enough houses in England to meet this need, which was centers for meeting intellectuals. In addition, there were various social clubs where intellectuals sat together and benefited from each other, but women did not come to coffee houses and clubs, they were reserved for men.
The city of Paris in France was famous for its scientific, literary, and philosophical ideas in the 18th century. Despite church and state restrictions, French intellectuals were challenging old traditions by expressing their views. Because coffee houses did not become centers of intellectuals like London, French nobles offered an alternative, which was in the form of a salon.
The empress’s wives, as well as the enlightened intellectuals, were patronized by King Louis mistress Madame de pompadour, who not only helped them financially but also freed them from state and…
