Jean de la Fontaine
Author · 13 books
Jean de La Fontaine (1621–1695) was a French poet and writer of the seventeenth century. He became known chiefly for his Fables and, to a lesser extent, his Contes. He also wrote poems, plays, and opera librettos. For his Fables, he drew in part on the ancient fabulists Aesop and Phaedrus; the work was published in several collections from 1668 onward. La Fontaine initially studied theology and law before turning to writing. He died in Paris.