Marie-Joseph Chénier
A revolutionary French playwright whose stirring verses became anthems for the new republic, yet who narrowly escaped the guillotine he helped sharpen.
1764–1811 (age 47)·French poet, dramatist and politician·Birthday: February 11
Biography
Marie-Joseph Chénier lived a life scripted by the turbulent drama of the French Revolution. Younger brother to the more famous poet André Chénier, who was executed, Marie-Joseph channeled his fervent republican beliefs onto the stage. His plays, like 'Charles IX', were thinly veiled attacks on the monarchy and the clergy, whipping up public sentiment in the years leading to 1789. His most enduring legacy, however, is lyrical: he penned the words to 'Le Chant du Départ', a rousing marching song that rivaled 'La Marseillaise' as an anthem of the revolutionary armies. As a member of the National Convention, he voted for the execution of King Louis XVI, yet his moderate Girondin sympathies later placed him in peril during the Reign of Terror. Surviving that purge, he navigated the subsequent political shifts, his pen always serving his ideals, until his death in 1811, a symbol of the artist as political actor.
#1 When Marie-Joseph Was Born
The biggest hits of 1764
Marie-Joseph's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1764Born
1769Started school
1777Became a teenager
1780Could drive
1782Could vote
1785Turned 21
1794Turned 30
1804Turned 40
1811Died at 47
Key Achievements
- Wrote the lyrics for 'Le Chant du Départ', a major national and revolutionary anthem of France.
- His controversial play 'Charles IX' (1789) is considered a significant catalyst for anti-monarchist sentiment in Paris.
- Served as a deputy in the National Convention during the French Revolution and voted for the king's execution.
- Was elected to the Institut de France (Académie française) in 1803.
Did You Know?
He was of partial Greek descent through his mother.
His older brother, André Chénier, was a poet executed during the Terror, a fate Marie-Joseph could not prevent.
He initially studied for a military career before turning to literature and politics.
Despite his revolutionary fervor, he later wrote pieces favorable to Napoleon Bonaparte's regime.
“The triumph of the arts is the sole true glory of nations.”
