Marie-Thérèse-Etiennette Bourgoin (1781–1833) was a French stage actress who performed at 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 ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. She was known for her beauty and acting talent. Bourgoin had an affair with Russian Emperor

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...

after being sent to entertain his delegation in

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

Napoleon Bonaparte 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 ...

Early life and career

Bourgoin was born on July 4, 1781, in Paris to a master shoemaker. She dreamed of the stage from early childhood, studying dance from age six and later acting. Her professional debut came at age 18 on September 13, 1799, at the Théâtre-Français in Paris. Over the next three decades, Bourgoin performed over 50 roles at the Comédie-Française. She was inducted as the 213th member in 1802 and departed in 1829. Some of her most acclaimed roles were in productions of plays by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ; ; 22 December 1639 – 21 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tr ...

Pierre de Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watchmaker, invent ...

, and

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

. This included parts such as

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 d ...

in ''Iphigénie'', Cherubino in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

'', Célimène in ''

The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by ...

'', and the title role in ''

Eugénie Eugénie is the French version of the female given name Eugenia. Eugénie or Eugenie may refer to: People * Eugénie d'Alsace (died 735), Second abbess of Mont Sainte-Odile Abbey * Eugénie de Montijo (1826–1920), 9th Countess de Teba; later ...

''.Dezobry and Bachelet, ''Dictionnaire de biographie'', vol. 1, Ch. Delagrave, 1876, p. 356

Affair with Alexander I

In 1808, Napoleon brought a troupe of actors including Bourgoin to Erfurt,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

to entertain Alexander I and the Russian delegation to the

Congress of Erfurt The Congress of Erfurt was the meeting between Napoleon, Emperor of the French, and Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, from Tuesday 27 September to Friday 14 October 1808 intended to reaffirm the alliance concluded the previous year with the ...

. Alexander was especially fond of Bourgoin's performances. At Napoleon's urging, she traveled back to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

with Alexander. Bourgoin made her

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

debut on July 26, 1809, starring in the comedy ''Nanina'' by

. She was a sensation with Russian audiences over the next two years. Bourgoin is believed to have become Alexander I's

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a female lover of a married man ** Royal mistress * Maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress of a ...

during this period before returning to her acting career in Paris.

Theatre

Career at the Comédie-Française

''Sources'':

Later stage roles and death

Upon returning to the Comédie-Française, Bourgoin continued performing lead roles into the 1820s. Some of her last acclaimed parts were in ''

'' (1819), ''Zénobie'' (1821), and ''Marcel'' (1826). After a 34-year stage career, Bourgoin died in her native Paris on August 11, 1833, at age 52. She was buried at

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

. Over three decades at the Comédie-Française, Bourgoin performed over 50 roles showcasing her talents as one of the leading actresses of her era.Paul Bauer, Mémoire et Documents, 2006, 867 p. (ISBN 978-2-914611-48-0), p. 441-442

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourgoin, Marie-Thérèse 1781 births 1833 deaths French stage actresses 19th-century French actresses Mistresses of Alexander I of Russia