Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.
Philosopher, poet, author, patron of the arts, and protofeminist, Ninon de l'Enclos is venerated in France as Queen of the Courtesans. At a very young age, Ninon chose to be emancipated from the constraints society had imposed on her gender. She was orphaned at the age of sixteen, and opened her own salon in Paris rather than seeking succor in marriage. Her salon quickly became the talk of the town, attracting aristocrats, socialites, and artists. At thirty, she opened a school to share her knowledge of the ways of seduction, charm, and the courtesies of love. Both men and women flocked to her school, which endured as an institution in Paris for three decades. During her career as a courtesan, Ninon took many powerful men as her lovers, though she was faithful to each one while their liaison lasted. She never took payment for her affections, as she was fiercely independent and wished to rely on no man for support. An advocate of measured Epicureanism, she defended both her lifestyle choices and her philosophical views in her book, La Coquette Vengée. After retiring from life as a courtesan, she continued to write and promote the arts through her salon.
HER BATH
Lavender and three ambers with rose otto, orris root, bourbon vanilla, and red sandalwood.
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