Bernardin de Saint-Pierre

Timothy Reeve (University of Exeter)

Ed. by Tim Unwin, University of Bristol
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.04: French Writing and Culture: Eighteenth-Century and the Enlightenment, 1700-1800.
Vol. editors: Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Severine Genieys-Kirk (University of Edinburgh), Jenny Mander (University of Cambridge), Síofra Pierse (University College Dublin), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born 19 Jan 1737
Died 21 Jan 1814
Activity 1757-1814

Places

Born in France
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Novelist

Resources

Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre first rose to prominence with the publication of his Études de la nature [Studies of Nature] (1784), a hymn to a Creator God whose providence was evident not only in the harmony and order of nature, but in human affairs as well. Although scientifically flawed, the Études revealed a talent for description and an ability to captivate and move that earned Bernardin his greatest success in the romantic novel Paul et Virginie [Paul and Virginia] (1788). His most significant contribution to the Revolution were the Vœux d'un solitaire [Wishes of a Solitary Man] (1789), a detailed statement of his political views that was enthusiastically received. Besides his literary achievements, Bernardin held the posts of Intendant of the Royal Garden and Professor of Republican Morality at the École normale supérieure. He was...

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1719 words

Citation: Reeve, Timothy. "Bernardin de Saint-Pierre". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 March 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3905, accessed 09 June 2026.]