Grace is beauty in action.
Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French moralist, philosopher, essayist, poet
(Attributed)
Sometimes attributed to Pensées (1838), but not found in any translation.
Somewhat more often attributed to Benjamin Disraeli. He did use the phrase (e.g., "Grace indeed is beauty in action" in Conington, Book 6, ch. 2 (1844)), but does not seem to have originated it. For example, in a speech in the House of Commons (1851-02-11), he is recorded as:A great writer has said that "grace is beauty in action." I say that Justice is truth in action.
Unless Disraeli was quoting himself as a "great writer," it seems likely he had someone else in mind.
