Perrault's Fairy Tales

Charles Perrault (1628–1703) was a French writer, art theorist, and statesman. The future literary figure was born in Paris; he was the youngest child in a large family of wealthy bourgeois. Charles attended the prestigious University College of Beauvais; however, without completing his studies, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and older brother and pursue a career in law. In 1651, he received a legal license but soon became disillusioned with the profession; even at that time, Perrault was composing his poems and verses. Later, Charles earned the favor of Jean Colbert, the influential finance minister at the court of King Louis XIV, and from 1663 he worked under his patronage. This collaboration lasted for the next twenty years, until Colbert's death. Under his guidance, Perrault, being a multifaceted person, made his mark in several fields. He was appointed the general controller of royal buildings (architecture was also linked to one of Charles's older brothers – Claude: he designed the eastern wing of the Louvre Palace), became the secretary of the Academy of Inscriptions and Fine Literature, and gained membership in the French Academy (a scientific institution created to study the French language). As Colbert's trusted associate, Perrault also had the opportunity to shape the direction of literature and art at the court of the king.