Marie Duplessis

Marie Duplessis (born Alphonsine Rose Plessis; 15 January 1824 – 3 February 1847 ) was a French courtesan and mistress to a number of prominent and wealthy men. She was the inspiration for Marguerite Gautier, the main character of the 1848 novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, one of Duplessis's lovers.

Early life

Marie Duplessis was born Alphonsine Rose Plessis in 1824 to Marin Plessis and Marie Plessis (née Deshayes) at Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, France. At the age of 15, she moved to Paris, where she found work in a dress shop.

As recorded in art of the day Marie Duplessis was evidently an extremely attractive young woman, with a petite figure and an enchanting smile. By the time she was 16, she had become aware that prominent men were willing to give her money in exchange for her company in both private and social settings. She became a courtesan and learned to read and write, and to stay abreast of world events so as to be able to converse on these topics with her clients and at social functions. She also added the faux noble "Du" to her name.

Life as a courtesan

Duplessis was both a popular courtesan and the hostess of a salon, where politicians, writers, and artists gathered for stimulating conversation and socializing. She rode in the Bois de Boulogne and attended opera performances. She also had her portrait painted by Édouard Viénot.

Duplessis was the mistress of Alexandre Dumas fils from September 1844 to August 1845.

In the summer of 1844, Plessis found her last great patron, the 78-year-old Count Gustav von Stackelberg (1766-1850). He was personally extremely wealthy and received a pension from the Tsar. Plessis and Stackelberg are said to have met at the spa resort of Bagnères-de-Luchon. She agreed to a liaison and he furnished her a magnificent six-room apartment on Boulevard de la Madeleine in Paris.

She was briefly married to at least one of her lovers: Count Édouard de Perregaux (1815-1889), a French nobleman and army officer. Her tomb can be visited at the Montmartre cemetery.

Novel, play, and opera Dumas's 1848 romantic novel The Lady of the Camellias was based on Duplessis. It appeared within a year of her death. In the book, Dumas became Armand Duval, and Duplessis became Marguerite Gautier. Dumas also adapted his story as a 1852 play, which inspired Giuseppe Verdi's 1853 opera La traviata and various films.

The journalist Romain Vienne was a childhood friend of hers and wrote La Vérité sur la dame aux camélias to correct some of the fictions that had grown up around her.