Joachim Bouvet

Joachim Bouvet (1656-1732) was a Jesuit Figurist who came to China in 1685 with the first group of six French Jesuits. He focused his research on the Yijing, the Book of Changes. Trying to find a connection between the Chinese classics and the Bible, Bouvet came to the conclusion that the Chinese had known the whole truth of the Christian tradition in ancient times and that this truth could be found in the Chinese classics. Even though he had some of his texts published, none of Bouvet's more extreme Figurist texts were published. He died in Beijing on 28 June, 1732.

Major works

• Etat présent de la Chine, en figures gravées par P. Giffart sur les dessins apportés au roi par le P. J. Bouvet (Paris, 1697)
• Portrait histoique de l'empereur de la Chine (Paris, 1697)