French Literature Reviews - 2026
Stéphanie Loubère, Leçons d’amour des Lumières
Other Literary Studies
Review published in Acta Fabula (vol. 27, no. 6): The Mosaics of Eros: A Grand Eighteenth Century That Loved to Love, by Marine Bastide De Sousa
Stéphanie Loubère
Leçons d’amour des Lumières
Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. Classiques Jaunes, 2024
During the Enlightenment, many writers followed in the footsteps of Ovid and his Art of Love. Whether imitating the classical model or inventing entirely new forms, their lessons in love reveal the boundless resources of erotic invention and subversion in an era that made love its ultimate pursuit.
During the eighteenth century, the literary landscape frequently returned to classical traditions, notably the inheritance of Ovid and his instructional frameworks for affection and desire. Writers of the period engaged with these earlier models while also developing entirely new literary forms to express the complexities of human attachment. This enduring preoccupation reflects a broader cultural moment in which the mechanics of affection became a central focus for philosophical inquiry, artistic experimentation, and social commentary across Europe.
Readers interested in eighteenth-century French literature and the evolution of erotic discourse may find this publication relevant to their study of the period. The text discusses works published by Classiques Garnier in 2024 that explore the various lessons in love produced during the Enlightenment. These writings reveal the boundless resources of erotic invention and subversion in an era that made love its ultimate pursuit.