Châtelet

Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil Marquise du Châtelet

Born: 17 Dec 1706 in Paris, France
Died: 10 Sept 1749 in Lunéville, France

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Gabrielle du Châtelet was married in 1725 to the Marquis Florent du Châtelet, governor of Semur en Auxois. She developed a strong relationship with Voltaire and they worked on philosophical and scientific topics.

Mme du Châtelet's Dissertation sur la nature et la propagation du feu was submitted for the Academy prize of 1744. It did not win, the prize was won by Euler, but it was published by the Academy.

Mme du Châtelet's major work was a translation of Newton's Principia . Begun in 1745 a part was published in 1756 under the direction of Clairaut. Voltaire wrote the preface. The complete work appeared in 1759 and was for many years the only translation of the Principia into French.

Mme du Châtelet died in child birth at the court of the Duke of Lorraine. Her husband, Voltaire and her lover at that time, the poet Jean-Francois de Saint-Lambert, were all present at her death.

Other Web sites:

Agnes Scott College, USA

References:

  1. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. I D Wade, Voltaire and Madame du Châtelet (1967).
  3. S Edwards, The Divine Mistress (1970).
  4. N Mitford, Voltaire in Love (1985).
  5. U Klens, Mathematikerinnen im 18. Jahrhundert : Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Gabrielle-Emilie du Châtelet, Sophie Germain (Pfaffenweiler, 1994). 
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JOC/EFR May 1996