Méry Laurent, born Anne Rose Suzanne Louviot (born 29 April 1849, Nancy- d. 26 November 1900), was a demi-mondaine (

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other ...

) and the muse of several Parisian artists. She used to run her own “'' salon''” where she hosted many French (and even American) writers and painters of her time: Stéphane Mallarmé,

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

, Marcel Proust,

François Coppée François Edouard Joachim Coppée (26 January 1842 – 23 May 1908) was a French poet and novelist. Biography Coppée was born in Paris to a civil servant. After attending the Lycée Saint-Louis he became a clerk in the ministry of war and won ...

Henri Gervex Henri Gervex (Paris 10 December 1852 – 7 June 1929 Paris) was a French painter who studied painting under Alexandre Cabanel, Pierre-Nicolas Brisset, and Eugène Fromentin. Biography Early years He was the son of Joséphine Peltier and Félix ...

James Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading pr ...

, and

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bo ...

Biography

Anne Rose Suzanne Louviot was born in Nancy in 1849. She was the daughter of a woman who worked as a laundress at Marshal Francois Certain De Canrobert's, and of an unknown father. Her laundress mother sold her 15-year-old daughter's virginity to Canrobert, so that her daughter would become Canorbert's mistress and receive an annuity for life of 500 francs per month. When the young girl turned 16, this enabled her to go in Paris, where she started a brief career as an actress. She played light comedies at The

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle ...

; the role of her lifetime there was the

Venus Anadyomene Venus Anadyomene (from Greek, "Venus Rising From the Sea") is one of the iconic representations of the goddess Venus (Aphrodite), made famous in a much-admired painting by Apelles, now lost, but described in Pliny's ''Natural History'', with t ...

, posing naked on her shell; at the

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...

, she also played Offenbach's

féerie ''Féerie'', sometimes translated as "fairy play", was a French theatrical genre known for fantasy plots and spectacular visuals, including lavish scenery and mechanically worked stage effects. ''Féeries'' blended music, dancing, pantomime, and ...

s. In 1874, after becoming a high-class prostitute, she met

Thomas W. Evans Thomas Wiltberger Evans (December 23, 1823 – November 14, 1897) was an American dentist. He performed dental procedures on many heads of state, including Napoleon III, and received numerous medals for his dentistry, including the Grand Croix ...

, an extremely wealthy American dental surgeon who tended to many high-profile people, and even royal families. He made her his mistress and helped her settle down at 52, rue de Rome, where she held her “salon”, hosting all of the Parisian artistic

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

. Through this occasion, she became the mistress of Francois Coppée, Stéphane Mallarmé,

Antonin Proust Antonin Proust (15 March 183220 March 1905) was a French journalist and politician. Antonin Proust was born at Niort, Deux-Sèvres. In the 1840s, Proust attended the Collège Rollin where he met lifelong friend Édouard Manet. In September 1850, ...

, as well as Edouard Manet's mistress and model. When Laurent died, she bequeathed her wealth to

Victor Margueritte Victor Margueritte (1 December 186623 March 1942) was a French novelist. He was the younger brother of Paul Margueritte (1860–1918). Life He and his brother were born in Algeria. They were the sons of General Jean Auguste Margueritte (1 ...

, her last favorite and "protégé", with the exception of her allegoric portrait of ''Autumn'' (a painting by Manet, begun in 1882), which went to the

Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy The Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy (french: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy), one of the oldest museums in France, is housed in one of the pavilions on Place Stanislas, in the heart of the 18th-century urban ensemble, a World Heritage Site by U ...

. Laurent was buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery (56th section).

Her "Salon"

The " salon" she ran was a place of exchanges which boosted the creative steps of those who patronized it: one could find there Edouard Manet and Henri Gervex, but also poets and writers such as Stéphane Mallarmé,

Joris-Karl Huysmans Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans (, ; 5 February 1848 – 12 May 1907) was a French novelist and art critic who published his works as Joris-Karl Huysmans (, variably abbreviated as J. K. or J.-K.). He is most famous for the novel '' À rebour ...

, Marcel Proust (the author painted Méry Laurent's portrait through Odette de Crécy's character in " Swann in Love",In 1880, Thomas W. Evans offered to Méry Laurent a house at 9 boulevard Lannes in Talus. The Swann's family house in Marcel Proust's novel was inspired by Mery Laurent's house.) or even Zola (who based his 1880 novel ''

Nana Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana ( ...

'' on Méry Laurent). She also received sculptors, lyrical artists and musicians, such as Hortense Schneider and

Reynaldo Hahn Reynaldo Hahn (; 9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor, music critic, and singer. He is best known for his songs – '' mélodies'' – of which he wrote more than 100. Hahn was born in Caracas ...

. Hahn would go on to become her

testamentary A testator () is a person who has written and executed a last will and testament that is in effect at the time of their death. It is any "person who makes a will."Gordon Brown, ''Administration of Wills, Trusts, and Estates'', 3d ed. (2003), p. 556 ...

executor.

Her portraits by Edouard Manet

File:Edouard Manet Automne Mery Laurent.jpg, Autumn, Portrait Of Méry Laurent in a Brown Fur Cape, 1881 File:Edouard Manet Mery Laurent au Chapeau de Loutre.jpg, Méry Laurent with a Fur Hat, 1882 File:Édouard Manet - Méry Laurent au carlin.jpg, Méry Laurent with a Pug, 1882 File:Édouard Manet - Mery Laurent au Chapeau Noir.jpg, Méry Laurent with a black hat, 1882 File:Edouard Manet Mery Laurent au petit chapeau.JPG, Méry Laurent with a little hat, 1882

Biography

Her "Salon"

Her portraits by Edouard Manet

References

Further reading

External links