1739) Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (09.01.1908-14.08.1986), France: A Postage stamp of 1.28 Euro issued by La Poste, France in her memory: Date of Stamp issue: 08.03.2021:
About Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (09.01.1908-14.08.1986):
She was a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist, and social theorist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory.
Beauvoir wrote novels, essays, biographies, autobiographies and monographs on philosophy, politics, and social issues.
Love for life and passion for truth encouraged her to write as a novelist with "L'Invitée," "Les Mandarins" (Prix Goncourt 1954) or "Les Inséparables", autobiographer with the rich collection of her Memoirs and "Une mort très douce", as a theorist with her essays "The Second Sex" or "The Old Age".
The Second Sex, was a detailed analysis of women's oppression and a foundational tract of contemporary feminism; and for her novels, including "She Came to Stay" and "The Mandarins". Since then "The Second Sex" has become the inspiration for feminists around the world, she shows solidarity with their actions.
Her most enduring contribution to literature are her memoirs, notably the first volume, “Mémoires d’une jeune fille rangée” (1958), which has a warmth and descriptive power.
She was also known for her open, lifelong relationship with French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1929 onwards) and their friendship lasted 51 years.
She founded with Sartre, the Review - "Les Temps Modernes", and stood for human freedom/liberty causes of the 20th Century, taking extreme positions against the colonial wars - Indochina, Algeria, Vietnam etc.
She was also a diarist, playwright, author of travel chronicles, and a prolific letter writer (letters to Sartre, to Bost, to Nelson Algren are some such examples).
Generous and open, she maintained an abundant correspondence with her readership. It is not surprising that a very long, emotional procession accompanied her funeral on 19.04.1986.
The Commemorative Stamp:
The Postage Stamp of €1.28 brought out by La Poste, France.
Technical details:
Stamp Issue Date: 08.03.2021
Designer: Sophie Beaujard
Illustrator: Sophie Beaujard
Process: Taille Douce
Stamp Value: €1.28
20) The Micro-Currency called - "EUSCKO" , France circulates in the French Basque Country and is the largest such currency in circulation today in the world, fully backed by the Euro; ii) It is one of 44 such micro-currencies circulating in French cities; iii) Paris is on the vetge of introducing a micro-currency.
21) Guerlain, France: A set of two stamps in the denominations of 0.97 and 1.94 Euros issued by La Poste, France: Date of Stamp Set issue: 13.01.2020
23) "Treasures of Notre Dame Cathedral" - Reconstruction over a period of five years (2019-2024): La Poste (French Post) is issuing a series of stamps under its Stamp Series every year till completion of the project: Date of Souvenir Sheet issue: 15.04.2020
Satyajit Pratap has commented:
ReplyDelete"Was the relationship with Paul Sartre a platonic intellectual one ..."
Beginning in 1929, Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre were partners and remained so for fifty-one years, until his death in 1980. Instead, they entered into a lifelong "soul partnership", which was sexual but not exclusive, nor did it involve living together.
DeleteBeauvoir chose never to marry or set up a joint household and she never had children. This gave her the time to advance her education and engage in political causes, to write and teach, and to have lovers.
Her most famous lover was American author Nelson Algren whom she met in Chicago in 1947, and to whom she wrote across the Atlantic as "my beloved husband.