In 1872, George Sand defended Fontainebleau: "Everyone has the right to the beauty and poetry of our forests"

In 1872, author George Sand joined artists in advocating for the preservation of the Fontainebleau forest in an article for Le Temps. She emphasized the importance of protecting Earth's resources and the dangers of deforestation. This text has been reissued by Actes Sud and will be published again in 2025 by L’Eclaireur, featuring a postscript by historian Grégory Quénet. The artists' petition received a positive response from the President of the Republic, but much of the forest was still auctioned off. In response, the petitioners formed a committee to protect the forest, asserting its status as a national monument that must be preserved for future generations.