A Real Figaro: Pierre Beaumarchais, Part One

A Real Figaro: Pierre Beaumarchais, Part One

From The Art of Crime by Gavin Whitehead

April 8, 2026 · 44 min · Season 6 · Episode 16

About this episode

The episode explores the life of Pierre Beaumarchais, focusing on his role as a watchmaker and his secret mission for Louis XV.

Pierre Beaumarchais made a name for himself as a watchmaker, working for none other than Louis XV. But Beaumarchais was a man of many talents, including espionage, and when Louis found himself blackmailed by a rogue pamphleteer, the king dispatched Beaumarchais on a secret mission to find the blackmailer and stop him. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast . For show notes and full transcripts, please visit www.artofcrimepodcast .

People in this episode

Host: Gavin Whitehead

Topics covered

  • espionage
  • blackmail
  • watchmaking
  • French history
  • Louis XV
  • Pierre Beaumarchais

Keywords

  • Pierre Beaumarchais
  • Louis XV
  • espionage
  • blackmail
  • watchmaker
  • French history

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