Sometimes referred to as the “first humanist poet of France”, Jean Lemaire de Belges (1473–ca. 1524) was born in the Hainaut region, which at the time comprised parts of what are today France and Belgium. As a poet whose literary floruit would witness the transition from manuscript to print culture as well as the near-seamless transformation of late medieval culture into early humanism, Lemaire’s works are of particular interest to those with interests in the history of the book and the beginnings of literary humanism in French-speaking Europe.
As a young man, Lemaire studied rhétorique at Valenciennes under the able tutelage of his godfather and likely uncle, Jean Molinet (1435&…
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Citation: Eubanks, Peter. "Jean Lemaire de Belges". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 May 2019 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14457, accessed 22 November 2024.]
