Isabelle de Charrière

Who was Isabelle de Charrière?

Isabelle de Charrière, known as Belle van Zuylen in the Netherlands and Madame de Charrière elsewhere, was a Dutch writer of the Enlightenment who lived the latter half of her life in Switzerland. She is now best known for her letters although she also wrote novels, pamphlets, music and plays. She took a keen interest in the society and politics of her age, and her work around the time of the French Revolution is regarded as being of particular interest.