Adelaide Nathalie Marie Hedwig Philippine d'Affry, Duchess of Castiglione Colonna, also went under the pseudonym Marcello, (6 July 1836 – 14 July 1879). She was a painter and sculptor, particularly known for her busts, which she exhibited at the

Paris Salon The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...

Early life

D'Affry was born in

Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

and was the eldest daughter of Count Louis d'Affry (1810-1841) and Lucie de Maillardoz (1816-1897), the daughter of Philippe de Maillardoz, Marquis de Maillardoz. The d'Affry's were a military family: Louis d'Affry (1743–1810), her great-grandfather, was the first

Landammann ''Landammann'' (plural ''Landammänner''), is the German title used by the chief magistrate in certain Cantons of Switzerland and at times featured in the Head of state's style at the confederal level. Old Swiss Confederacy ''Landammann'' or ''A ...

of Switzerland. Count Louis-Auguste-Augustin d'Affry, her great-grandfather, devoted himself to engraving and documenting scenes from military life. His son, Charles, served under Bonaparte. Adèle d'Affry had a younger sister, Cécile Marie Philippine Carolina (1839–1911). After their father died on June 26, 1841, Adele and Cécile were raised by their mother. She grew up between Freiburg and

Givisiez Givisiez (; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Sarine (district), Sarine in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Fribourg (canton), Fribourg in Switzerland. It was formerly known in German language, German as ...

during the summer months, and Nice or Italy during the winter. Between 1853 and 1854, d'Affry received a classical education, including drawing lessons from Auguste Joseph Dietrich. It was during these years that she took modelling classes in the studio of the Swiss sculptor

Heinrich Max Imhof Heinrich Max Imhof (14 May 1795 or 1798, Bürglen - 4 May 1869, Rome) was a Swiss sculptor, in the Classical style. Max may be short for either "Maximilian" or "Maximus". Biography He was born to a family of tenant farmers and grew up in sim ...

in Rome. d'Affry studied subjects such as art, Latin, philosophy, and theology. She also had an immense love for music, which influenced her choice her pseudonym, which she chose based on her love for the eighteenth-century Venetian composer

Benedetto Marcello Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (; 31 July or 1 August 1686 – 24 July 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. Life Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of the noble Marcello family and in his composit ...

. On 5 April 1856, Adèle d'Affry married Carlo Colonna (1825–1856) in Rome. A month later, he was knighted and received the title of Duke of Castiglione-Altibrandi, converted into ''Castiglione-Colonna''. The marriage was very short as Carlo Colonna died suddenly of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

in Paris on 18 December 1856. d'Affry was obliged to return to Rome in 1857 to settle a dispute with the

Colonna family The House of Colonna is an Italian noble family, forming part of the papal nobility. It played a pivotal role in Middle Ages, medieval and Roman Renaissance, Renaissance Rome, supplying one pope (Pope Martin V, Martin V), 23 cardinals and many ot ...

over her husband's estate. d'Affry took refuge in the convent of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart, Trinidad des-Monts. Her artistic vocation gradually awakened at that time. She took lessons in Imhof's studio, visited many churches and admired the works of antiquity and

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

. In the fall of 1857, she modelled the bust of her late husband. This first sculpture was quickly followed by a self-portrait. In 1859, d'Affry moved to Paris and rented an apartment from

Léon Riesener Louis Antoine Léon Riesener (21 January 1808 – 25 May 1878) was a French Romanticism, Romantic painter. Enchanted by the play of light and reflections which transformed the appearance of matter, Riesener began a new aesthetic that made h ...

(1808–1878), a cousin of Eugėne Delacroix, at No. 1 rue Bayard. Pierre Andrieu (1821–1892), an assistant to Riesener and Delacroix, helped to decorate the dining room and workshop in fresco. D'Affry began to frequent the brilliant society of the Second Empire. She chaperoned her sister Cécile until her marriage, on 29 October, to Baron Moritz von Ottenfels-Gschwind (1820–1907), an Austrian diplomat. Her rank in society led d'Affry to frequent the salons of the

Faubourg Saint-Germain ''Faubourg Saint-Germain'' () is a historic district of Paris, France. The ''Faubourg'' has long been known as the favourite home of the French high nobility and hosts many aristocratic '' hôtels particuliers''. It is currently part of the 7th ...

, and the shows held by the Comtesse de Circourt. D'Affry built lasting friendships, including with

Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic. Thi ...

and Auguste Joseph Alphonse Gratry.

Early career

D'Affry, inspired by Louis I of Bavaria’s collection of statues, once wrote, “For me rtwill be a profession.” Her artistic journey began in France, where she learned the basics of drawing and painting with the help of portraitist Joseph Auguste Dietrich and painter Joseph Fricero. Later, she moved to Rome, where she studied sculpture under Heinrich Maximilian Imhof. In 1857, she sculpted two important works, a self-portrait bust and a bust of her recently deceased husband, Carlo Colonna, Duke of Castiglione-Aldrovandi, both of which played a significant role in launching her artistic career. After relocating to Paris in 1859, Marcello continued to refine her skills by copying existing artworks at the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. Although female artists were often discouraged and faced numerous barriers in exhibiting at the Salon, Marcello was a notable exception. She had already established herself as a sculptor and built influential connections within the art world and Second Empire Paris. Despite being rejected from the

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in nor ...

due to her gender, Marcello remained determined to pursue her artistic education independently. She studied animal drawing at the Natural History Museum under the direction of sculptor

Antoine-Louis Barye Antoine-Louis Barye (; 24 September 179525 June 1875) was a Romantic French sculptor most famous for his work as an ''animalier'', a sculptor of animals. His son and student was the sculptor Alfred Barye. Biography Born in Paris, France, Barye ...

and modeled from nature, with

Auguste Clésinger Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger (22 October 1814 – 5 January 1883) was a 19th-century French sculptor and painter. Life Auguste Clésinger was born in Besançon, in the Doubs department of France. His father, Georges-Philippe, was a scu ...

monitoring her progress. In December, she began anatomy classes in the basement of the School of Medicine under Professor Sappey. During this formative period, she also worked on her first successful composition, ''La Belle Hélène'' (1860). On September 6, 1860, during a dinner at the Barbier, Adele met Delacroix. Although her application to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts was officially rejected in 1861, she continued her development back in Rome, where she admired

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (; 11 May 1827 – 12 October 1875) was a French sculptor and painter during the Second Empire under Napoleon III. Life Born in Valenciennes, Nord, son of a mason, his early studies were under François Rude. Carpe ...

's ''Ugolino and his children'' at the

Villa Medici The Villa Medici () is a sixteenth-century Italian Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with 7-hectare Italian garden, contiguous with the more extensive Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in the historic ...

. The two artists formed a lasting friendship that endured until Carpeaux’s death. In February 1864, d'Affry received Carpeaux in

, and rejected the marriage proposal he presented on behalf of his son. Affry-Bianca capello

Peak career

In 1863, d'Affry exhibited three busts at the Paris Salon, marking a significant moment in her artistic career. After much hesitation, she chose to exhibit under the pseudonym "Marcello". Her works included ''Bianca Cappello'', the ''Portrait of Count G. N ... colaÿ', and the ''portrait of the Duchess of San C ... sario', a work in wax. Her work captured the attention of many, including

Empress Eugénie The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

. The success met by her ''Bianca'' gained the attention of the Empress, who invited her to participate in one of the famous Tuileries Mondays. d'Affry was then invited to the court and was able to meet

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

, whom she greatly admired. Impressed by one of her pieces displayed at the Salon, Empress Eugénie commissioned her to make a portrait, further solidifying her reputation among elite circles. She gave marble a sense of life, imbuing her sculptures with vitality and emotion. This was evident in her bust of General Milans del Bosch, which showcases her skill in capturing both presence and personality in her work. Marcello exhibited ''The Gorgon'', a marble bust, in the 1865 Salon and she received the official order of a portrait of the Empress Eugénie, which was intended to decorate the throne room of the city hall of Paris. d'Affry produced four different versions of this bust.The bust of Empress Eugénie was a strong example of Marcello’s ability to portray power in a human and accessible fashion.

Charles Frederick Worth Charles Frederick Worth (13 October 1825 – 10 March 1895) was an English fashion designer who founded the House of Worth, one of the foremost fashion houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is considered by many fashion historians to ...

, a prominent fashion designer of the time, owned three of her sculptures. Additionally, her work was recognized by architect Charles Garnier, who chose to display her sculpture "Pythia" in the basin of the grand staircase of the Opera Garnier, a testament to her acclaim and artistic influence. During the months of June and July 1866, d'Affry left for London and monitored the reception of her bronze bust of ''The Gorgon'', which was exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. Her admiration for Queen Marie Antoinette, which she shared with Empress Eugénie, led her to complete the busts of Marie Antoinette at Versailles and Marie Antoinette at the Temple. She exhibited a bust of Empress Eugénie at the 1866 Paris Salon, where it was harshly criticized and rejected by the Commission of fine arts of the city of Paris. She feared having fallen out of favour with Eugenie. Eventually, the prefect Haussmann made the decision to accept the bust. Pythia

d'Affry presented eight of her works, including ''Hecate'', which Napoleon III had commissioned for the gardens of Compiègne, at the 1867 World's Fair in the section of the Papal States. Then, accompanied by her mother, she travelled during May and June 1867 across Austria, Germany and Hungary. In Budapest, the two women attended the coronation of Empress Elisabeth. On her return to Paris, d'Affry made a small marble bust of Elisabeth. Between March and August 1868, d'Affry travelled in the north of Italy and stopped in Rome. At Cauterets, in the Pyrenees, she crossed the border and travelled to Spain, where she was caught in an insurrection. Despite the dangers of this situation, she remained in Madrid where she worked with her friends, the painters

Henri Regnault Alexandre Georges Henri Regnault (31 October 1843 – 19 January 1871) was a French painter. Biography Regnault was born in Paris, the son of Henri Victor Regnault. On leaving school he successively entered the studios of Antoine Montfort, Lo ...

and

Georges Clairin Georges Jules Victor Clairin (11 September 1843, Paris – Pouldu, Clohars-Carnoët 2 September 1919) was a French Orientalist painter and illustrator. He was influenced by Eastern imagery Moors, Moorish architecture, and visited North Africa ...

. She met the revolutionary General Milans del Bosch, and she modelled his bust. Letters of recommendation from

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, an import ...

opened the doors for her of the

Prado Museum The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on ...

. She admired, among others, the works of

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...

. From Fribourg, where she lived since January 1876, d'Affry returned to Italy, visiting Florence, Orvieto, Rome, Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, Padua, Venice, Verona and Milan. The director of the

Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of ...

commissioned a portrait. Her bust of Baroness of Keffenbrinck, presented at the Salon of that year earned her an honourable mention.

Social life

d'Affry had established herself well in Parisian society, often interacting with other artists. She attended sessions at

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French Modernism, 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 (art movement), R ...

’s studio, but when Manet asked if she would model for him, she refused, though she did sit for a portrait by

Gustave Courbet Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( ; ; ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the ...

. d'Affry and the Empress Eugénie became quite close, as a surviving telegram and d'Affry's journal entries attest. She also maintained a friendship with

, the president of France who succeeded the imperial couple. Despite her social and artistic success, she faced political criticism for being close to the French imperial family. Carpeaux called her a prodigy. In the final years of Carpeaux’s life, she regularly visited him, maintaining their connection until his death in 1875.

Illness and death

In 1877, exhausted by her cough and joint pain, d'Affry spent December in Italy on the advice of her doctors. In 1878, d'Affry moved constantly between Naples, Switzerland and Paris, in search of a climate that would calm her

hemoptysis Hemoptysis or haemoptysis is the discharge of blood or blood-stained sputum, mucus through the mouth coming from the bronchi, larynx, vertebrate trachea, trachea, or lungs. It does not necessarily involve coughing. In other words, it is the airw ...

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

pushed her more towards painting because it was less straining. Based in

Castellammare di Stabia Castellammare di Stabia (; ) is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania region, in southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento. History Castellammare di Stabia ...

in 1879, d'Affry put her papers in order, working on writing her memoirs which were left unfinished. On January 2, a second version of her will listed the sculptures she bequeathed to the State of Fribourg, provided that a museum be dedicated to her work. She died of tuberculosis on 16 July 1879.Tatiana Silvestri, « Biographie » in Mina 2014, p. 115-119.

Selected works

* ''Gorgone,'' 1865, Fribourg, musée d'art et d'histoire * ''Pythia,'' 1870, Paris,

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

. This work serves as the inspiration for a key feature in ''Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald''''.'' * ''Femme transtévérine'', 1874, musée d'Orsay * ''La Marquise de Talenay'', 1875, musée d'Orsay

References

Sources

* * * Ghislain de Diesbach: ''La double vie de la duchesse Colonna'', Paris: Librairie académique Perrin, 1988 ; réedition Genève : Editions de Penthes, coll. « Suisses dans le monde », 2015 * https://archive.org/details/pierregenius2010/page/n3/mode/2up * Pierre, Caterina Y. "A New Formula for High Art: The Genesis and Reception of Marcello's Pythia." In ''Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide'' 2:2 (Autumn 2003), https://www.19thc-artworldwide.org/autumn03/qa-new-formula-for-high-artq-the-genesis-and-reception-of-marcellos-pythia * Gianna A. Mina (dir.), ''Marcello, Adèle d'Affry (1836-1879), duchesse de Castiglione Colonna'' (catalogue d'exposition (Fribourg, MAHF, 7 novembre 2014 – 22 février 2015; Ligornetto, Museo Vela, 26 avril – 30 août 2015; Musées nationaux du Palais de Compiègne, 16 octobre 2015 – 1er février 2016; Pregny-Genève, Musée des Suisses dans le monde, février – juin 2016)), Milan, édition 5 Continents, 2014. * Mélanie Kaeser et Michel Viegnes (éd), ''Adèle d'Affry "Marcello" Écrits de fiction: nouvelles, théâtre, récits'', Fribourg, Presses Littéraires de Fribourg, 2014. * Simone de Reyff (dir.) et Fabien Python (dir.), Les Cahiers d'Adèle, Société d'histoire du canton de Fribourg, coll. «Archives de la Société d'histoire du canton de Fribourg / nouvelle série» (no 17), 2014 * Leïchlé, Mathilde (2021). ''Marcello (Adèle d’Affry, duchesse de Castiglione Colonna, dite)''. Musée d'Orsay. Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions, 2021. * Higonnet, Anne (1995). ''Berthe Morisot''. University of California Press. * Smee, Sebastian (2024). ''Paris in Ruins''. W.W. Norton. * Simone de Reyff (ed.), ''D'Adèle à Marcello. Fragments autobiographiques (1876-1879)'', Fribourg, Archives de l'Etat de Fribourg, 2024 (coll. Bibliotheca Otolandana, 3).

External links

Fondation MarcelloMarcello works
in the Musée d'Orsay's collection
Marcello
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse * Caterina Pierre, ''"Genius Has No Sex" The Sculpture of Marcello (1836 - 1879)'' -

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:d'Affry, Adele 1836 births 1879 deaths 19th-century Swiss painters 19th-century Swiss sculptors People from Fribourg Pseudonymous artists 19th-century Swiss women painters