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Molière, French Playwright and Actor

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière (January 15,1622 - February 17,1673) was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped him polish his comic abilities while he began writing, combining Commedia dell'arte elements with the more refined French comedy. Though he received the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molière's satires attracted criticism from moralists and the Catholic Church. Tartuffe and its attack on perceived religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations from the Church, while Don Juan was banned from performance. Molière's hard work in so many theatrical capacities took its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. In 1673, during a production of his final play, The Imaginary Invalid, Molière, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, was seized by a coughing fit and a hemorrhage while playing the hypochondriac Argan. He finished the performance, but collapsed again, and died a few hours later, at the age of 51.
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Title:
Molière, French Playwright and Actor
Caption:
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière (January 15,1622 - February 17,1673) was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped him polish his comic abilities while he began writing, combining Commedia dell'arte elements with the more refined French comedy. Though he received the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molière's satires attracted criticism from moralists and the Catholic Church. Tartuffe and its attack on perceived religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations from the Church, while Don Juan was banned from performance. Molière's hard work in so many theatrical capacities took its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. In 1673, during a production of his final play, The Imaginary Invalid, Molière, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, was seized by a coughing fit and a hemorrhage while playing the hypochondriac Argan. He finished the performance, but collapsed again, and died a few hours later, at the age of 51.
Credit:
Album / NYPL/Science Source
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Image size:
3328 x 3900 px | 37.1 MB
Print size:
28.2 x 33.0 cm | 11.1 x 13.0 in (300 dpi)
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