Julie de Lespinasse

Julie de Lespinasse established one of the most significant Parisian salons, in the rue Saint-Dominique. Prior to this, she had helped the aristocrat Madame du Deffand with her own salon, but Deffand’s jealousy of the attentions paid Lespinasse caused a falling out. In addition to role as hostess, Lespinasse authored many impassioned letters of love and despair that demonstrated her own literary talent. Her correspondence was published as Lettres in 1809.