Alfredo D Escragnolle Taunay

Alfredo D'Escragnolle Taunay was a Brazilian novelist, historian, politician, and nobleman. He was the son of a French painter who came to Brazil with the French Artistic Mission in 1816. He graduated from the Military Academy and served in the Paraguayan War, where he witnessed the tragic retreat of Laguna. He wrote a memoir of his experience, which was translated into several languages. He also wrote novels, short stories, plays, and essays, influenced by the Romantic movement. His most famous novel is Inocência, a love story set in the wilderness of Mato Grosso. He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters and the Historical and Geographical Institute of Brazil. He was also a deputy, a senator, and a minister of agriculture. He was granted the title of Viscount of Taunay by Emperor Pedro II in 1889. He died of pneumonia in 1899, at the age of 55.