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Musset, oil painting by Charles Landelle; in the Louvre, Paris (credit: Cliché Musées Nationaux, Paris)

(born Dec. 11, 1810, Paris, France — died May 2, 1857, Paris) French playwright and poet. A member of a noble family, Musset came under the influence of Romanticism in adolescence and produced his first work, Stories of Spain and of Italy, in 1830. After an early play failed, he published historical tragedies (e.g., Lorenzaccio, 1834) and comedies. Although he refused to let them be performed, he is remembered today primarily as a dramatist. His poetry includes light satirical pieces and passionate, eloquent lyrics such as "The October Night" (1837). A fitful love affair with George Sand inspired some of his finest work.

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