Research topic: Abel François Villemain

Abel François Villemain , 1790-1870, French scholar and critic. He was a professor at the Sorbonne from 1816, held several government posts after 1830, and was permanent secretary of the French Academy from 1832. As minister of public instruction (1839-44) he was largely responsible for a reorganization of libraries in France and for promoting the passage of a law assuring academic freedom. His reputation as a literary critic was established by his Cours de littérature française (1830), several times reedited and enlarged, which included his notable Tableau de la littérature... Read more