Du Deffand, Marie de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise

Du Deffand, Marie de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise

(märē` də vēshē`-shäNrôN` märkēz` dü dĕfäN`), 1697–1780, French woman of letters, whose salon was frequented (1753–80) by the leaders of the EnlightenmentEnlightenment,
term applied to the mainstream of thought of 18th-century Europe and America. Background and Basic Tenets

The scientific and intellectual developments of the 17th cent.
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. She is widely considered the most brilliant woman of her era. Her letters (1766–80) to Horace WalpoleWalpole, Horace or Horatio, 4th earl of Orford,
1717–97, English author; youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole.
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, whom she loved deeply, are typical of her brilliant, witty correspondence.

Bibliography

See B. Craveri, Madame du Deffand and Her World (1995)