Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Jean-Baptiste Colbert (August 29, 1619 – September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance for 22 years under King Louis XIV. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing and bringing the economy back from the brink of bankruptcy; although - historians note - since Louis spent so much money (on luxury and wars) France actually became increasingly impoverished. Colbert worked to create a favourable balance of trade and increase France's colonial holdings. Historians of mercantilism consider Colbert a key figure.

Culture

In art and literature Colbert took much interest. He possessed a remarkably fine private library, which he delighted to fill with valuable manuscripts from every part of Europe where France had placed a consul. He has the honour of having founded the Academy of Sciences (now part of the Institut de France), the Observatory, which he employed Claude Perrault to build and brought Giovanni Domenico Cassini (1625 - 1712) from Italy to superintend, the Academies of Inscriptions and Medals, of Architecture and of Music, the French Academy at Rome, and Academies at Arles, Soissons, Nimes and many other towns. He reorganised the Academy of Painting and Sculpture which Mazarin had established. He himself became a member of the Académie française; and proposed one very characteristic rule with the intention of expediting the great Dictionary, in which he had a great interest: no one could count as present at any meeting unless he arrived before the hour of commencement and remained till the hour for leaving. In 1673 Colbert presided over the first exhibition of the works of living painters; and he enriched the Louvre with hundreds of pictures and statues. He gave many pensions to men of letters, among whom we find Molière, Corneille, Racine, Boileau, P D Huet (1630 - 1721) and Antoine Varillas (1626 - 1696); and even foreigners, as Huygens, Vossius the geographer, Carlo Dati the Dellacruscan, and Heinsius the great Dutch scholar. Evidence exists to show that by this munificence he hoped to draw out praises of his sovereign and himself; but this motive certainly does not account for all the splendid, if in some cases specious, services that he rendered to literature, science and art.

Related Topics:
Academy of Sciences - Institut de France - Claude Perrault - Giovanni Domenico Cassini - Of Inscriptions and Medals - Of Architecture - Of Music - French Academy at Rome - Arles - Soissons - Nimes - Academy of Painting and Sculpture - Académie française - Dictionary - Louvre - Molière - Corneille - Racine - Boileau - P D Huet - Antoine Varillas - Huygens - Vossius - Carlo Dati - Dellacruscan - Heinsius

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