Suzanne Curchod
Encyclopedia
Suzanne Curchod was a French-Swiss salonist and writer. She hosted one of the most celebrated salon
s of the Ancien Régime. She was the wife of Jacques Necker
, and is often referenced in historical documents as Madame Necker.
Daughter of the pastor of the village of Crassier
in the canton of Vaud
, Switzerland
, Suzanne was well educated but poor. In 1757 she met the historian Edward Gibbon
, who wished to marry her, but paternal disapproval on both sides and Suzanne's refusal to leave Switzerland for England
thwarted the plans. In 1764 she broke finally with Gibbon and married the ambitious Swiss financier Jacques Necker
. They had one child, a daughter named Germaine, better known as Madame de Staël.
In 1776 her husband became Controller-General of Finances
, head of the French finance ministry, this in spite of the double disadvantage of his Protestant religion and Swiss origins. Much of this success he owed to his wife's salon, where the luminaries of Paris
ian society gathered to discuss art and literature, and to flirt and gossip. Among the regular visitors were Marmontel
, La Harpe
, Buffon, Grimm, Mably
, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
and the compilers of the Encyclopédie
including Diderot and d'Alembert
. Madame Necker's salons were also a meetingplace for Swiss expatriates such as Madame Geoffrin
and the Marquise du Deffand
.
Life in Paris, and her husband's dislike of bluestocking authors prevented her from pursuing her interest in writing. Her surviving writings are few: Mémoire sur l'Etablissement des hospices (1786) and Réflexions sur le divorce (1794). She devoted considerable time to ensuring that their daughter Germaine received the very best education available.
After the fall of her husband from power in 1790, the Neckers left Paris and returned to Switzerland. Suzanne died at the castle Beaulieu (Lausanne) in Vaud, in 1794.
In Paris a hospital she founded
in 1784 still bears the Necker name and today treats sick children.
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
s of the Ancien Régime. She was the wife of Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
, and is often referenced in historical documents as Madame Necker.
Daughter of the pastor of the village of Crassier
Crassier
Crassier is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Crassier has an area, , of . Of this area, or 68.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 10.8% is forested...
in the canton of Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Suzanne was well educated but poor. In 1757 she met the historian Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
, who wished to marry her, but paternal disapproval on both sides and Suzanne's refusal to leave Switzerland for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
thwarted the plans. In 1764 she broke finally with Gibbon and married the ambitious Swiss financier Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
. They had one child, a daughter named Germaine, better known as Madame de Staël.
In 1776 her husband became Controller-General of Finances
Controller-General of Finances
The Controller-General of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1661 to 1791. The position replaced the former position of Superintendent of Finances , which was abolished with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet.- History :The term "contrôleur général" in...
, head of the French finance ministry, this in spite of the double disadvantage of his Protestant religion and Swiss origins. Much of this success he owed to his wife's salon, where the luminaries of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian society gathered to discuss art and literature, and to flirt and gossip. Among the regular visitors were Marmontel
Jean-François Marmontel
Jean-François Marmontel was a French historian and writer, a member of the Encyclopediste movement.-Biography:He was born of poor parents at Bort, Limousin...
, La Harpe
Jean-François de La Harpe
Jean-François de La Harpe was a French playwright, writer and critic.-Life:La Harpe was born in Paris of poor parents. His father, who signed himself Delharpe, was a descendant of a noble family originally of Vaud...
, Buffon, Grimm, Mably
Gabriel Bonnot de Mably
Gabriel Bonnot de Mably , sometimes known as Abbé de Mably, was a French philosopher and politician. He was born in Grenoble of a legal family, and, like his younger brother, the well-known philosopher, Étienne Bonnot de Condillac , took holy orders...
, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre was a French writer and botanist...
and the compilers of the Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
including Diderot and d'Alembert
Jean le Rond d'Alembert
Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. He was also co-editor with Denis Diderot of the Encyclopédie...
. Madame Necker's salons were also a meetingplace for Swiss expatriates such as Madame Geoffrin
Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin
Marie Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin has been referred to as one of the leading female figures in the French Enlightenment. From 1750-1777, Madame Geoffrin played host to many of the most influential Philosophes and Encyclopédistes of her time...
and the Marquise du Deffand
Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise du Deffand
Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond, marquise du Deffand was a French hostess and patron of the arts.She was born at the Château de Chamrond, in Ligny-en-Brionnais, a village near Charolles of a noble family. Educated at a convent in Paris, she showed great intelligence and a sceptical, cynical turn of...
.
Life in Paris, and her husband's dislike of bluestocking authors prevented her from pursuing her interest in writing. Her surviving writings are few: Mémoire sur l'Etablissement des hospices (1786) and Réflexions sur le divorce (1794). She devoted considerable time to ensuring that their daughter Germaine received the very best education available.
After the fall of her husband from power in 1790, the Neckers left Paris and returned to Switzerland. Suzanne died at the castle Beaulieu (Lausanne) in Vaud, in 1794.
In Paris a hospital she founded
Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital
The Hôpital Necker – Enfants Malades is a French teaching hospital, located in Paris, France. It is an hospital of the Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris group, and is affiliated to the University of Paris Descartes...
in 1784 still bears the Necker name and today treats sick children.