The enduring version of Beauty and the Beast remains the primary legacy of Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont, who condensed the 1740 fairy tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Beyond folklore, she navigated eighteenth-century European society as a prolific journalist, educator, and author who produced approximately seventy volumes, using literature as a primary vehicle for moral instruction.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1711 in Rouen, France, to the sculptor and painter Jean-Baptiste Le Prince and his wife Barbe Plantart, she was originally christened Marie-Barbe Le Prince. Following her mother's death when she was eleven, she and her sister Catherine were educated at a convent school in Ernemont, where they served as teachers between 1725 and 1735. In 1735, she opted to depart the convent rather than take religious vows, moving to Metz before securing a position as a singing teacher at the court of the Duke of Lorraine, Stanisław Leszczyński, in Lunéville.
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During her tenure as a governess in London, she began a prolific writing career that spanned fiction, nonfiction, and journalism. She published her first moralistic novel, The Triumph of Truth, in 1748. Her most influential instructional works, including Magazin des enfans (1758) and Magazin des adolescents (1760), provided educational handbooks for parents and children. These texts often utilized folktales to impart moral lessons. Additionally, her 1768 novel, The New Clarissa, acted as a counter-narrative to Samuel Richardson’s work, advocating for female autonomy.
Professional Networks and Inventions
Her editorial work included the publication of Le Nouveau Magasin français between 1750 and 1752, a project that featured contributions from Voltaire. While residing in England, she engaged with intellectual circles and contributed to the newspaper The Spectator. Evidence from her correspondence indicates she utilized 'wooden maps' to instruct children, identifying her as a probable predecessor to the commercial jigsaw puzzle. After decades abroad, she returned to France in 1763, eventually settling in Avallon, where she resided until her death in 1776.
Fast facts
- Born: 1711, Rouen, France
- Died: 1776, Avallon, France
- Primary Occupations: Writer, educator, journalist
- Notable Work: La Belle et la Bête (1757)
- Notable Collection: Magazin des enfans (1758)
- Language: French
- Citizenship: France
- Buried: Avallon
Questions readers ask
Did she write the original Beauty and the Beast?
No, she authored a widely popular abridged adaptation of the 1740 version written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.
What was her contribution to education?
She was an early proponent of using folktales as tools for moral development and authored instructional handbooks for the guidance of young women.
Achievements
- Notable work: La Belle et la Bête
- Notable work: Magazin des enfans
