Buffon Biography: The Naturalist as a Force of Nature

A new biography by Gilbert Joseph examines the life of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788), the most famous French naturalist. Born in Montbard during the final years of Louis XIV's reign, Buffon was educated by Jesuits in Dijon. He arrived in Paris in 1732 at age 24, already wealthy from inheritance and fiercely ambitious. A gifted mathematician, he corresponded with leading scientists across Europe and cultivated powerful patrons including Minister Maurepas, Mme du Châtelet, and Maupertuis. On June 7, 1733, Buffon was elected to the Royal Academy of Sciences with the king's consent. In 1739 he achieved his goal of becoming Intendant of the Jardin du Roi. The biography argues that Buffon's appointment was not chance but the result of calculated strategy. His great work, the 36-volume 'Histoire naturelle', was conceived as a comprehensive vision of nature. Buffon famously declared that 'well-written works are the only ones that will pass to posterity,' asserting that style reveals truth. The biography positions Buffon as one of France's greatest writers, citing Mme de Genlis's 1801 praise that his works 'will always be the best of all French poetics.'