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Which Italian writers influenced Jean de La Fontaine?
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Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine, oil painting by François De Troy; in the Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire, Geneva
Jean de La Fontaine was an assiduous reader who drew significant inspiration from a variety of literary sources to craft his own works. Among his favorite Italian writers were:
- Giovanni Boccaccio: La Fontaine borrowed heavily from Boccaccio for his Contes et nouvelles en vers, though he adapted the material with his own unique stylistic flair.12
- Niccolò Machiavelli2
- Ludovico Ariosto2
- Torquato Tasso2
La Fontaine’s work was not merely a product of his own life experiences but was deeply rooted in this complex literary heritage, which he studied and exploited with meticulous conscientiousness.2