Paul Claudel studied law and Oriental languages in Paris. He began his diplomatic career in 1893, serving in various consulates and embassies around the world, including the United States, Brazil, and China. His experience abroad profoundly marked his work, which frequently evokes exotic landscapes and distant cultures. He was elected to the French Academy in 1946. His vast poetic, theatrical, and essayistic work is a testament to his intense spiritual life and his worldview.