Julia Bartet was the stage name of Jeanne-Julie Regnault (28 October 1854 – 18 November 1941), a French actress. After training at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

she began her professional career in 1872, and from 1880 to her retirement in 1920 she was a leading member of the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

. Her range was wide, and she appeared in classic plays and modern drama, in comedy and tragedy.

Life and career

Early years

Bartet was born Jeanne-Julie Regnault on 20 October 1854 in the 1st arrondissement of Paris."Notice de personne"
Bibliothèque nationale de France. Retrieved 31 March 2021 She studied at the

under the prominent actor and teacher François-Joseph Regnier.Parker, p. 903 She won the conservatoire's second prize for comedy in 1872 and made her first professional stage appearance in October of that year, adopting the stage name Bartet to avoid confusion with the established star actress Alice Regnault. Her first role was Vivette in the first production of Daudet 's '' L'Arlesienne'' at the

Théâtre du Vaudeville The Théâtre du Vaudeville was a theatre company in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Piis and Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets sur des airs connus", including vaudevilles. Af ...

, Paris. During the 1870s her other roles included Marguerite in Sardou's ''Les Ganaches'' (1874); Manon in '' Manon Lescaut'' (1875); Fanny Merson in Émile Augier's ''Madame Caverlet'' (1876); Comtesse Zicka in '' Dora'' (1877) and leading parts in ''Les Bourgeois de Pont-Arcy'' (1878); ''Montjoye'' (1879) and ''Les Tapageurs'' (1879). He
portrait
was painted by

Aimé Morot Aimé Nicolas Morot (16 June 1850 – 12 August 1913) was a French painter and sculptor in the Academic Art style. Biography Aimé Nicolas Morot, son of François-Aimé Morot and Catherine-Elisabeth Mansuy, was born in Rue d'Amerval 4 in Nancy ...

in 1881 and is at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris.

Comédie-Française

In 1879 Bartet was engaged by the

, where she made her début on 16 February 1880, as Léa in Sardou's ''Daniel Rochat''; later in that year she took over from

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including ''La Dame Aux Cameli ...

as the Queen in ''

Ruy Blas ''Ruy Blas'' is a tragic drama by Victor Hugo. It was the first play presented at the Théâtre de la Renaissance and opened on November 8, 1838. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, the play was initially met with only average ...

''. On 24 December 1880 she was appointed as a sociétaire. Over the next forty years she played ninety roles at the Comédie-Française, ranging from comedy to tragedy, gaining the nickname "La Divine". In her entry in '' Who's Who in the Theatre'' she listed more than forty plays that she considered particular successes, including ''

Adrienne Lecouvreur Adrienne Lecouvreur (5 April 1692 – 20 March 1730), born Adrienne Couvreur, was a French actress, considered by many as the greatest of her time. Born in Damery, she first appeared professionally on the stage in Lille. After her Paris debut ...

'', ''

Andromaque ''Andromaque'' is a tragedy in five acts by the French playwright Jean Racine written in alexandrine verse. It was first performed on 17 November 1667 before the court of Louis XIV in the Louvre in the private chambers of the Queen, Marie Thérès ...

'', ''

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., ...

'', ''

Bérénice ''Berenice'' (french: Bérénice) is a five-act tragedy by the French 17th-century playwright Jean Racine. ''Berenice'' was not played often between the 17th and the 20th centuries. It was premiered on 21 November 1670 by the Comédiens du Roi ...

'', ''

Hernani Hernani may refer to: *Hernani, Eastern Samar, a municipality in Eastern Samar, Philippines *Hernani, Gipuzkoa, a town in Gipuzkoa, Basque Autonomous Community, Spain * ''Hernani'' (drama), a Romantic drama by Victor Hugo * Hernani CRE, a Spanish r ...

'', ''

Iphigénie ''Iphigénie'' is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by the French playwright Jean Racine. It was first performed in the Orangerie in Versailles on August 18, 1674, as part of the fifth of the royal ''Divertissements de ...

'', ''

Le Roi s'amuse ''Le roi s'amuse'' (; literally, ''The King Amuses Himself'' or ''The King Has Fun'') is a French play in five acts written by Victor Hugo. First performed on 22 November 1832 but banned by the government after one evening, the play was used for G ...

'' and ''

Les Femmes savantes ''Les Femmes savantes'' (''The Learned Ladies'') is a comedy by Molière in five acts, written in verse. A satire on academic pretension, female education, and préciosité (French for preciousness), it was one of his most popular comedies a ...

''. ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...

'' said that Bartet served the Comédie-Française with incomparable nobility, and commented that her "scholarly and understated elegance … her refined grace, her restrained and profound pathos" were "one of the models of the French woman". Her retirement from the stage in 1920 was international news. In London ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' called it a loss that all French people would feel;"A Loss to the Française", ''The Times'', 21 January 1920, p. 12 ''

The New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the ''New York Herald Tribune''. His ...

'' praised Bartet's generosity in stepping down to make way for younger members of the Comédie-Française, but asked, "Who among the younger actressess is capable of filling Mme. Bartet's place?" On her retirement she was made an Officier of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

. Bartet died at her home in the 8th arrondissement of Paris on 18 November 1941, at the age of 87 and was interred in the

Passy Cemetery Passy Cemetery (french: Cimetière de Passy) is a small cemetery in Passy, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The current cemetery replaced the old cemetery (''l'ancien cimetière communal de Passy'', located on Rue Lekain), ...

."15e division"
Cimetière de Passy. Retrieved 31 March 2021

Notes, references and sources

Notes

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bartet, Jeanne Julia 1854 births 1941 deaths Actresses from Paris French stage actresses Officers of the Legion of Honour Burials at Passy Cemetery Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française 19th-century French actresses 20th-century French actresses