ABSTRACT
Tall, beautiful, and witty, Olympe threw herself into the promise of Parisian life with enthusiasm and delight. No matter the truth of her situation, she evolved happily in the whirlpool of Parisian fringe society. She scoffed at prudes, which only emphasized her reputation as a kept woman. According to archives consulted by Olivier Blanc, her name never came up in police reports. Members of the nobility had access to Enlightenment philosophers' works and had completely absorbed the notions of progress and reason, which they strongly believed in, calling for happiness for all, and criticizing privilege. Olympe was attentive to such notions as developed in the salons she took part in, and was most struck by Rousseau's ideas since it advocated a return to nature, thereby rendering her ignorance legitimate. Olympe enjoyed visiting museums and art salons, she read a lot and kept herself informed in several domains, as if she wanted to make up for her lateness.
