Madeleine Patin (c.1643 – 28 September 1722),
born Madeleine Hommetz, was a
French moralist
In French literature, the moralists (french: moralistes) were a tradition of secular writers who described "personal, social and political conduct", typically through maxims. The tradition is associated with the salons of the ''Ancien Régime'' f ...
author.
The wife of medical doctor and
numismatist Charles Patin
Charles Patin (23 February 1633 - 10 October 1693) was a French physician and numismatist. He was the son of Guy Patin, dean of the school of medicine in Paris, and a friend of Jacob Spon. Trained first by his father, he obtained a law degree and ...
, and daughter of medical doctor and letter writer
Guy Patin
Guy (or Guido) Patin (1601 in Hodenc-en-Bray, Oise – 30 August 1672 in Paris) was a French doctor and man of letters.
Patin was doyen (or dean) of the Faculty of Medicine in Paris (1650–1652) and professor in the Collège de France start ...
, Madeleine Patin wrote philosophical and moral reflections. This genre was popular in Europe during the period, and was one to which French writers such as
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...
made contributions. She published ''Christian and Moral Reflections on the Epistles of St. Paul'' in 1680, which she dedicated to Empress Eleanora of Austria.
This work is still included in published anthologies today.
She was made a member of the
Galileiana Academy of Arts and Science
The Accademia Galileiana, or "Galilean academy", is a learned society in the city of Padua in Italy. The full name of the society is , "Galilean academy of science, letters and the arts in Padova". It was founded as the in Padua in 1599, on the ...
, as were her husband and their two daughters,
Charlotte-Catherine and
Gabrielle-Charlotte. She was also made a member of the
Academy of Ricovrati
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
learned society of
Padua, Italy
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
.
See also
*
French literature
*
17th-century French literature
17th-century French literature was written throughout the ''Grand Siècle'' of France, spanning the reigns of Henry IV of France, the Regency of Marie de Medici, Louis XIII of France, the Regency of Anne of Austria (and the civil war called the F ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patin, Madeleine
17th century in France
French women writers
1643 births
1722 deaths