Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755-1794) was one of France's best-known poets, playwrights, and authors, famous for penning numerous comedies and fables. Born to a Castillian mother, he also retained an enduring interest in matters Spanish and wrote numerous works dealing with that nation. Of noble French birth, he served as an army captain before retiring to write full time and was elected to the Academie francaise in 1788. He was imprisoned as a royalist during the French Revolution and died in prison of tuberculosis.
