The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (the Order of Arts and Letters) is an Order (decoration) of France, established on May 2, 1957 by the Minister of Culture in recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts and literature. An Order is a decoration, awarded by a government to an individual, usually for distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

French recipients must be at least 30 years old, must respect French civil law, and must have "significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance", according to French government guidelines. Recipients from outside France may be allowed into the Order "without condition of age".

The Order has three ranks:

• Commandeur (Commander) - wears the badge on a necklet;
• Officier (Officer) - wears the badge on a ribbon with rosette on the left chest;
• Chevalier (Knight) - wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.

The badge of the Order is an eight-armed, green-enamelled "asterisk", in gilt for commanders and officers, in silver for knights; the obverse central disc has the letters "A" and "L" on a white enamelled background, surrounded by a golden ring bearing the words "République Française" (Republic of France}. The reverse central disc features the head of Marianne on a golden background, surrounded by a golden ring bearing the words "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres". The commander's badge is topped by a gilt twisted ring. Rosettes are small, circular devices that are presented with a medal. ... A gilt is any of the following: A thin covering of gold. ... Marianne busts with features of Brigitte Bardot - ? - ? - Catherine Deneuve - Mireille Mathieu For the Tori Amos song see Marianne (1996 song). ...

The ribbon of the Order is green with four white stripes.

Anglophone and non-French recipients include Louis Cha, William Faulkner, James Joyce, Jackson Pollock, David Bowie, Allen Ginsberg, John Coolidge Adams, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessye Norman, Tony Curtis, Lisa Appignanesi, Elfi von Dassanowsky, Michael Cimino, Oscar Peterson, Danielle Steel, Paul Anka and Bruce Willis. Louis Cha, (born June 6, 1924), known to most by his penname Jinyong or Kam-yung, is one of the most influential Chinese-language novelists. ... William Faulkner, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1954 William Cuthbert Faulkner (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was a Nobel Prize-winning novelist from Mississippi. ... James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (February 2, 1882 – January 13, 1941) was an expatriate Irish writer and poet, widely considered a significant writer of the 20th century. ... Jackson Pollock in 1950 Pollocks Galaxy, a part of the Joslyn Art Museums permanent collection Blue Poles Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an influential American artist and a major force in the abstract expressionism movement. ... David Bowie David Bowie (born David Robert Jones on January 8, 1947 in London) is a British rock musician and actor. ... Allen Ginsberg, far left, at Airport Frankfurt, Germany Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American Beat poet born in Paterson, New Jersey. ... John Coolidge Adams (born February 15, 1947) is an American composer, with strong roots in minimalism. ... Streep in Silkwood (1983) Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress who has received numerous accolades for her work in movies and television and who, from the 1980s to the present day, has been regarded as one of the best in her field. ... Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. ... Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974), is an American actor. ... Jessye Norman The American soprano Jessye Norman (born 15 September 1945) is one of the most admired contemporary opera singers and recitalists. ... Tony Curtis Tony Curtis is the stage name of Bernard Schwartz (born June 3, 1925 in The Bronx, New York to Jewish immigrants from Hungary), an actor who has appeared in over 100 films since 1949. ... Lisa Appignanesi (born Elsbieta Borenztejn on January 4, 1946 in Lodz, Poland) is a television producer and novelist. ... Elfi von Dassanowsky (born February 2, 1924) is an Austrian singer, pianist and film producer. ... Michael Cimino (born February 3, 1939 in New York City, New York) is an American film director. ... Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC , CQ , O.Ont. ... Danielle Steel (born Danielle Fernande Schuelein-Steel on August 14, 1947 in New York City, New York) is one of the best-selling authors in the history of the United States. ... Paul Anka receiving the Order of Canada from Governor General Adrienne Clarkson in a ceremony performed at Rideau Hall on Friday, June 10, 2005. ... Bruce Willis Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955 as Walter Bruce Willis) is an American actor. ...