De l'amour (Stendhal)

De l'amour
Cover page of De l'amour, 1822 (Bibliothèque municipale de Grenoble)
AuthorStendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle)
Original titleDe l'amour
LanguageFrench
SubjectPhilosophy of love, psychology
GenreEssay, philosophical treatise
Publication date
1822
Publication placeFrance

De l'amour (English: On Love) is a philosophical treatise by French writer Stendhal, published in 1822. The work explores the psychology of romantic love and was inspired by Stendhal's unrequited passion for Italian aristocrat Metilde Viscontini Dembowski. It introduces the concept of "crystallization", a process through which lovers idealize their beloved, and remains a foundational text in the study of love as a psychological phenomenon.