Jean Chapelain

Jean Chapelain
An anonymous portrait of Chapelain
Born(1595-12-04)4 December 1595
Paris, France
Died22 February 1674(1674-02-22) (aged 78)
Paris, France
OccupationCritic, poet
NationalityFrench
PeriodGrand Siècle
Literary movementNeoclassicism
Notable works"Sentiments de l’Académie sur le Cid"
"La Pucelle"

Jean Chapelain (4 December 1595 – 22 February 1674) was a French poet and critic during the Grand Siècle, best known for his role as an organizer and founding member of the Académie française. Chapelain acquired considerable prestige as a literary critic, but his own major work, an epic poem about Joan of Arc called "La Pucelle," (1656) was lampooned by his contemporary Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux.