In 18th century France, fashionable and exclusive Salons flourished with wit and learning, enlightened ideas, engrossing debates which put to question everything in their society, and interestingly many of the most celebrated salons were lead by witty, fashionable and cultured grand dames, some of very notable social standings others more modest. So long you had the money, the wits and the talent for entertaining, salons allowed its hostesses to shine and sparkle in the fashionable delightfully opulent Parisian society, and one of its brightest stars was Marquise du Deffand.
Marquise du Deffand
"What would I give to be able to make my appearance for one quarter of an hour, at those suppers, which I so greatly enjoyed!" - Montesquieu, June, 1741
"It would be needles to tell you, that when you either speak to, or of others, no one can equal you, either in point or intelligence or of sagacity' - Mr. Saladin, July, 1750
"You can never be forgotten, Madam, by those who have ever had the honour of ranking among your acquaintance: this i must entreat you would consider as matter of fact; since, for my own part, i shall ever reckon the hours I spent in your company, among the happiest of my life" - Count de Bernstoff, May, 1751
A true original of her period the marquise was said to have shocked the nuns at her convent school who simply did not know what to do with a girl so sceptical, so indifferent to their religious teaching and who so enjoyed voicing her shocking beliefs and opinions. Out of the convent she was never to show much if any interest in religion but her lavish education made her a brilliant conversationalist and she read with relish all the new novels and intellectual works. She was reputed to have been beautiful she loved being in the limelight and was always seen in the company of the most fascinating people. It rather was natural that she should become hostess to one of the most exclusive and sought-after salons of her day. She usually organised evening parties or sometimes very select suppers where the art of conversation blossomed in its full glory. People visiting Paris sought to be acquainted to her in the hopes that they would be amongst those lucky enough to be invited.
Amongst her many admirers was Voltaire, President Hanault Monsieur de Formont, and the great English collector Horace Walpole who was her frequent corespondent. Unfortunately her her due to financial troubles she was forced to recide at a convent of St Joseph, where she rented out some comfortable rooms and lived for the rest of her life. She did not become pious or god-fearing, that was simply not in her nature, she did not let her new circumstances let her down in fact she lived as she did always, going out and conducted her salon except now it was in her rooms at St Joseph's. Some of her contemporaries or former friends noted that she was quite big-headed, vein, and jealous, incapable of loving anything more then she loved herself, but somehow that just makes her so much more interesting to me. She was tragic too, she never had a very good vision and it worsened rapidly in her later years leading her to become close to the lovely but poor Julie de Laspinasse who being ever so charming and so very agreeable helped Deffand to entertained her guests, a task she now found difficult because of her eyesight. The young girl in turn gained many admirers from the circle of her new benefactress friends, and in order to spend more time with de Laspinasse, the guests began the habit of coming an hour early without Mme du Deffand knowing just so they could spend some time with their charming new friend. A jealous range erupted when du Deffand discovered this she denounced her poor helper friend as 'serpant in her busam' and considered herself wronged by her friends. This lead to a serious rift between her and some of her friends most notably D'Alembert, who refused to abandon Julie de Laspinasse with whom he was seriously infatuated. She was settled in, comfortably in a new apartment furnished and decorated by her generous friends where she began her own salon. Madame de Deffand lived until the age of eighty-four dying in 1780.
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