Jean-François de La Harpe

Born in Paris on November 20, 1739, Jean-François de La Harpe was a French writer, playwright, and literary critic. Although he wrote verse and drama early in his career, he became best known for criticism, especially for the forceful and often severe opinions that made him a notable voice in French letters.

La Harpe was associated with the Enlightenment world and built a reputation through literary essays, public lectures, and journalism. He later held a teaching post in Paris, and the lectures that grew into his Cours de littérature ancienne et moderne became his most lasting work, offering a broad survey of literature and helping secure his place in literary history.

His life also crossed the turbulence of the French Revolution, during which his political positions shifted in dramatic ways. He died in Paris on February 11, 1803. Today, he is chiefly remembered as a major critic of French classical literature, admired by some for clarity and rigor and criticized by others for his severity.