Reports from the American Revolution electrified many salons during the 1780s. As one would expect, discussion in pre-revolutionary salons revolved around politics, philosophy and Enlightenment ideas. Discussions were less planned and structured and there were more games, light banter and socialising.īy the 18th century, salons had developed a more formalised structure and a stronger focus on literature, learning and debate. These early salons were more informal than later gatherings. Rambouillet’s salon became a meeting place for the Paris intelligentsia and the nation’s literary set. The earliest salons date back to the early 1600s, to a literary circle hosted by the Marquess de Rambouillet, an Italian-born French aristocrat. They served as a precursor to the political clubs that emerged in the early 1790s. The salons offered a venue for sharing and discussing liberal ideas and criticisms of the Ancien Régime. Nevertheless, they served as distributors of revolutionary ideas and sentiment. The salons and their male-oriented counterparts, the cercles and cafés, were social gatherings rather than cohesive revolutionary groups. By the last quarter of the 18th century, the salons had become de facto universities or tutorial groups, specialising in Enlightenment ideas and philosophy. Most were educated, well read and informed about politics, current affairs and intellectual debates. Guests at salons usually came from the haute bourgeoisie or nobility.
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