S is for Société du samedi – Salon des précieuses
A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024
Les précieuses
In 17th century Paris, a group of intellectual, witty women known as les précieuses developed a culture of lively conversations and playful word games. These gatherings were frequently held in a lady’s bedroom, referred to as a salon. The lady, reclining on her bed, would receive close friends – men and women – who would sit on chairs or stools drawn around.
Société du samedi
One of the central figures of the salon that gathered at the Hôtel de Rambouillet was Madeleine de Scudéry, a renowned novelist and playwright. In 1653, Madeleine and her brother Georges Scudéry established a new residence in the Marais neighborhood of Paris and founded her famous Saturday salon: the Société du samedi. The salon provided a forum for a large literary circle to discuss, debate, and exchange ideas on a wide range of topics, including literature, philosophy, politics, and social issues. One subject hotly disputed concerned the nature of true friendship and love.
The salon attracted both established writers and emerging talents, fostering a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among its members. Prominent participants included Madame de Lafayette, Madame Scarron (the future Madame de Maintenon), Paul Pellisson, Jean-François Sarasin, Pierre Corneille, and Jean Racine, among others. Many of Scudéry’s philosophical dialogues reflect the ideal of honnêteté – the virtue of decency, fairness, and tolerance, especially in the realm of disputed ideas. Salonnières also debated the “new philosophy” of Descartes, although Scudéry herself opposed his mechanistic theory of matter.
The Société du samedi was a vibrant and intellectually stimulating gathering that contributed to the flourishing of French literature and culture during the reign of Louis XIV. It remains a significant aspect of Madeleine de Scudéry’s legacy as a writer and salonnière.
In the book ‘Greet Suzon for me’, which is due to be published in 2024, Suzanne d’Albert is brought to Paris as a teenager, where she is introduced to high society and famous philosophers and artists who frequented such salons as the Société du samedi.
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