Jeanne Françoise Julie Adélaïde Récamier (; 3 December 1777 – 11 May 1849), known as Juliette (), was a French socialite whose

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

drew people from the leading literary and political circles of early 19th-century Paris. An icon of

neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

, Récamier cultivated a public

persona A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...

as a great beauty, and her fame quickly spread across Europe. She befriended many intellectuals, sat for the finest artists of the age, and spurned an offer of marriage from Prince Augustus of Prussia.

Family and education

A native of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

, she was the only child of notary and King's counsellor Jean Bernard and his wife, the former Julie Matton. In 1784, her father was named receiver of finance under Calonne. She was briefly educated at the Couvent de la Déserte in

, until her family moved to Paris. The name "Juliette" came about as a

diminutive A diminutive is a word obtained by modifying a root word to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment, and sometimes to belittle s ...

of "Julie".Edouard Herriot, ''Madame Récamier'', pp. 1–2 Beautiful, accomplished, and possessing a love of literature, Récamier was described as shy and modest by nature.

Early marriage

At the age of fifteen, she was married on 24 April 1793 to Jacques-Rose Récamier (1751–1830), a banker nearly thirty years her senior and a relative of the gourmet Brillat-Savarin. In relaying the news to a friend of his impending marriage to Juliette, Jacques wrote: Jacques-Louis David 016

A rumour arose that her husband was, in fact, her natural father who married her to make her his heir. Their marriage occurred at the height of the revolutionary terror and, if he were guillotined, she would inherit his money. Although many biographers have given credence to this theory, it is unproven and discounted by several historians.Herold, J. Christopher. ''Mistress to an Age: A Life of Madame de Staël''. Grove Press, 2002. pp. 287–288 Curiously, however, Jacques once wrote to a friend that his relations with Madame Bernard may have been more than platonic: The marriage was never consummated, and Récamier remained a virgin until at least the age of forty. A rumour was initiated by writer Prosper MériméeLajer-Burcharth, Ewa. ''Necklines: The Art of Jacques-Louis David After the Terror''. Yale University Press, 1999. p. 344. that she suffered from a physical condition which made the act of sexual intercourse painful. This, however, did not inhibit her charm, as many individuals including

François-René de Chateaubriand François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand (4 September 1768 – 4 July 1848) was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian who influenced French literature of the nineteenth century. Descended from an old aristocratic family from Bri ...

were said to have had intense emotional relationships with her. Chateaubriand was a constant visitor of her salon and, in a manner, master of the house.

European celebrity

From the earliest days of the

French Consulate The Consulate () was the top-level government of the First French Republic from the fall of the French Directory, Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799 until the start of the First French Empire, French Empire on 18 May 1804. ...

to almost the end of the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...

, Récamier's

in Paris was one of the chief resorts of literary and political society that followed what was fashionable. The habitués of her house included many former royalists, with others, such as General Jean Bernadotte and General Jean Victor Moreau, more or less disaffected to the government. This circumstance, together with her refusal to act as lady-in-waiting to Empress consort

Joséphine de Beauharnais Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 Janua ...

and her friendship for Germaine de Staël, brought her under suspicion. In 1800

Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...

began his portrait of her, but left it unfinished on learning

François Gérard François Pascal Simon Gérard (, 4 May 1770 – 11 January 1837), titled as Baron Gérard in 1809, was a French painter. He was born in Rome, where his father occupied a post in the house of the French ambassador, and his mother was Italian. A ...

had been commissioned to paint a portrait before he had. It was through Germaine de Staël that Récamier became acquainted with

Benjamin Constant Henri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque (25 October 1767 – 8 December 1830), or simply Benjamin Constant, was a Swiss and French political thinker, activist and writer on political theory and religion. A committed republican from 1795, Constant ...

, a Swiss-French political activist and writer, whose political equivocations during the last days of the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

and the first of the Bourbon Restoration have been attributed to her persuasions. She was eventually exiled from Paris by the orders of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. After a short stay at her native Lyon, she proceeded to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, and finally to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. There she was on exceedingly good terms with

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also ; ; ; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French Army officer and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the military titles of Marshal of the ...

and his wife Caroline Bonaparte, who were then intriguing with the

Bourbons The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. A branch descended from ...

. She persuaded Constant to plead the claims of Murat in a memorandum addressed to the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

, and also induced him to take up a decided attitude in opposition to Napoleon's return during the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

Later years

Récamier's husband had sustained heavy financial losses in 1805, and she visited Germaine de Staël at Coppet in Switzerland. There was a project for her divorce, in order that she might marry Prince Augustus of Prussia, but, though her husband was willing, it was not arranged. In her later days she lost most of what was left of her fortune; but she continued to receive visitors in her apartment at Abbaye-aux-Bois, a 17th-century convent (demolished in 1907) situated at 16 rue de Sèvres in Paris, to which she retired in 1819. Despite old age, ill-health, partial blindness, and reduced circumstances, Récamier never lost her attractiveness, though at least one man who met her, artist Guillaume Gavarni, opined that she "stank of the lower middle class." And although she numbered among her admirers Mathieu de Montmorency, Lucien Bonaparte, Prince Augustus of Prussia (whose marriage proposal she rejected),

Pierre-Simon Ballanche Pierre-Simon Ballanche (4 August 1776 – 12 June 1847) was a French writer and counterrevolutionary philosopher, who elaborated a theology of progress that possessed considerable influence in French literary circles in the beginning of the ninet ...

, Jean-Jacques Ampère, and Benjamin Constant, none of them obtained over her so great an influence as did Chateaubriand, though she suffered much from his imperious temper. If she had any genuine affection, it seems to have been for the baron de Barante, whom she met at Coppet. In 1849, Récamier died in Paris of

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

at the age of 71 and was buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

, at the time a village north of Paris.

Cultural legacy

A type of sofa or chaise longue on which she liked to recline, the ''récamier'', was named after her. She was the subject of two silent films. A 1920 German film '' Madame Récamier'' starring Fern Andra and a 1928 French film '' Madame Récamier''.

Gallery

Image:Mme Recamier by Augustin.jpg, Portrait by Jean-Baptiste Augustin (1801) Image:Juliette Récamier, en 1805.jpg, Portrait by

(1805) Image:Juliette Récamier, par Firmin Massot, 1807.jpg, Canvas by Firmin Massot (1807) File:Gros Jean Antoine Portrait of Mademoiselle Recamier.jpg, '' Portrait of Madame Récamier'' by Antoine-Jean Gros (1825) Image:Juliette Récamier (1777-1849) C.jpg, Portrait by François-Louis Dejuinne (1827) Image:Juliette Récamier (1777-1849) (A).jpg, Crayon noir by

(1829)

References

Bibliography

* * * * * Lenormant, Amelie. ''Souvenirs et correspondances tirés des papiers de Madame Récamier'' (1859) * Amélie Lenormant, ''Madame Récamier, les amis de sa jeunesse et sa correspondance intime'' (1872) * Mary Elizabeth Mohl, ''Madame Récamier'', with a sketch of the history of society in France (1821 and 1862) *

François Guizot François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator and Politician, statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics between the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 and the Revoluti ...

in the '' Revue des deux mondes'' (December 1859 and February 1873) * H. Noel Williams, ''Madame Récamier, and her Friends'' (London, 1901) *

Édouard Herriot Édouard Marie Herriot (; 5 July 1872 – 26 March 1957) was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic who served three times as Prime Minister (1924–1925; 1926; 1932) and twice as President of the Chamber of Deputies. He led the f ...

(Engl. trans., by Alys Hallard), ''Madame Récamier et ses amis'' (1904) *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Recamier, Jeanne Francoise Julie Adelaide People from Lyon 1777 births 1849 deaths Burials at Montmartre Cemetery Deaths from cholera Coppet group French salon-holders French women letter writers Socialites from Paris 19th-century French letter writers