While in Paris she was constantly in and out of jobs and soon came to realise that her looks were best asset. So she began her life as a courtesan and began to work her way up to the wealthiest citizens of Paris.
Her head was turned by the wealth and her days were now filled with shopping and getting ready for the Salon's, Parties or Opera's she now regularly attended. She also developed an appetite for gambling and had her portrait painted by Edouard Vienot, a well known and respected artist of the time.
During her life she was briefly married twice and first met Alexandre Dumas in 1842 when they were both just 18.
They met again in 1844 when they had an affair in which Dumas became insanely jealous of Marie's other lovers. Shortly after her affair with Alexandre Marie's health greatly deteriorated greatly. She suffered from severe Tuberculosis which eventually killed her at the age of 23 in 1847. During her failing health her life began to fall apart and her lovers cast her off and left her at the way side.
Only two weeks after her death all her belongings were auctioned off to pay her many debts.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI finished reading the book The Lady of the Camellias, today.
ReplyDeleteI am very touched by the story of marguerite gautier!
This book has been in my possession for 15 years, only now I read and finished reading.
If I knew it would be a story so beautiful I have read a lot longer.
Congratulations on the blog .......
I read this book when I was 15yo, and it have made such an impression on me. I instinctitly knew that such profound love couldn't be based on the author's imagination and the book expresses Alexandre Dumas Filho passion and despair.
ReplyDelete