Jean de La Fontaine, who lived from 1621 to 1695, was a highly celebrated French fabulist and stands as one of the most widely read French poets of the seventeenth century. He is known above all for his landmark work, Fables. This collection provided an influential model for subsequent fabulists across the European continent, while also inspiring numerous alternative versions within France and across various French regional languages.
For a significant portion of his life, La Fontaine navigated a long period of royal suspicion. Despite these difficulties and the lack of royal favor, he eventually achieved the high honor of being admitted to the Académie Française. Following this milestone, his reputation as a premier literary figure in France was firmly secured and has never faded in the centuries since.
The enduring nature of La Fontaine's fame is highly visible in French cultural life. Evidence of his lasting impact can be found in the many pictures and statues dedicated to the writer throughout the country, as well as his later depictions on medals, coins, and postage stamps.
