Vitalie Rimbaud (born Jeanne Rosalie Vitalie Rimbaud; 15 June 1858 in
Charleville – 18 December 1875 in Charleville) was the elder of the two surviving sisters of
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism.
Born in Charleville, he s ...
.
Biography
Vitalie was the daughter of
Marie Catherine Vitalie Cuif and
Frédéric Rimbaud Frédéric Rimbaud (7 October 1814 – 16 November 1878) was a French officer of the 47th Infantry Regiment. He served in the conquest of Algeria, the Crimean War and the Sardinian Campaign. He is best known as the father of the poet Arthur Rimbau ...
. The latter left the marital home in
1860
Events
January
* January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France.
* January 10 &ndas ...
, leaving his wife with four young children: Frédéric was seven, Arthur six, Vitalie two and
Isabelle
Isabel is a female name of Iberian origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheba''). Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...
eight months. This did not include the oldest sister Victorine-Pauline-Vitalie, who had died at the age of a few weeks in 1857.
Vitalie grew up under the thumb of an authoritarian and conservative mother who provided a strict education based on Christian morality. In contrast to her brothers, Frédéric and Arthur, who attended the Institut Rossat, a private secular school with an excellent reputation, Vitalie boarded with the nuns of the Sépuchrine Convent, in the Place du Sépulcre (nowadays the Place Jacques Félix). "At the age of 15, Vitalie Rimbaud had the light skin, dark chestnut hair, and blue eyes of her brother Arthur".
Vitalie died on 18 December 1875, aged 17, from tubercular
synovitis
Synovitis is the medical term for inflammation of the synovial membrane. This membrane lines joints that possess cavities, known as synovial joints. The condition is usually painful, particularly when the joint is moved. The joint usually swells ...
. Arthur Rimbaud attended her funeral with his head shaved, a sign of mourning.
She kept a private diary and wrote poetry.
Her writings express fragility but do not reflect the permanent revolt that characterises those of her brother Arthur.
Publications
* ''Journal de Vitalie'', published by the "Musée-Bibliothèque Arthur Rimbaud", Charleville-Mézières.
References
Sources
* This article began as a translation of it
French equivalent
*
* .
* .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rimbaud (1858-1875), Vitalie
1858 births
1875 deaths
People from Charleville-Mézières
Arthur Rimbaud