Louis Petit de Bachaumont

Louis Petit de Bachaumont ( born June 2, 1690 in Paris, † April 29, 1771 ) was a French writer and art critic.

Life

As the son of an official of the royal financial administration Bachaumont grew up at the court to Versailles, and was educated by his grandfather, who was the personal physician of the Prince de Conti and Dauphin. Before he acquired a reputation as a writer and critic living room, he was a welcome guest in the salons of Paris, under which he visited, especially the salon of Mme Doublet. In these salons where he collected the news, which he then forwarded in letter format and so kept up an information network. Under his name appeared in this way the famous Mémoires secrets, which are an important source for the understanding of the 18th century in Paris today. Author of this Mémoires secrets, however, was Pidansat de Mairobert who did not want to act as the official author.

Bachaumont took an active part in the artistic life of the city of Paris, who met in private circles such as the Salon des Pierre Crozat, and fought among others, for a revival of French history painting. It occurs as the author of various works of art and architecture as the Essai sur la peinture, la sculpture et l'architecture (1751 ) and the Mémoire sur la vie de M. l' abbé Gédoyn in appearance. Bachaumont was the guiding spirit of the salon of Mme Doublet. He could permanently bind around 30 habitués of her salon. The converging here news and gossip stories were collected and - more widespread than nouvelles à la main handwritten and secret messages to subscribers sheets - often under his leadership. In this way they were able to escape censorship. In 1748 he saved the Colonne Médicis from destruction and donated it to the city of Paris.