Henri de Latouche

Who was Henri de Latouche?

Hyacinthe-Joseph Alexandre Thabaud de Latouche, commonly known as Henri de Latouche was a French poet and novelist known for his publication of André Chénier and early encouragement of George Sand.

He was born at La Châtre.

Among his works may be distinguished his comedies: Projets de sagesse, and, in collaboration with Emile Deschamps, Selmours de Florian, which ran for a hundred nights; also La Reine d'Espagne, which proved too indecent for the public taste; a novel, Fragoletta ou Naples et Paris en 1799, which attained a success of notoriety; La Vallée aux loups, a volume of prose essays and verse; and two volumes of poems, Les Adieus, and Les Agrestes.

Latouche's chief claim to remembrance is that he revealed to the world the genius of André Chénier, then only known to a limited few. The remains of the poet's work had passed from the hands of Daunou to Latouche, who had sufficient critical insight instantly to recognize their value. In editing the first selection of Chénier's poems he made some trifling emendations, but did not, as Beranger afterwards asserted, make radical and unnecessary changes.