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For other uses, see Colette (disambiguation).
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

Born January 28, 1873(1873-01-28)
Yonne, France
Died August 3, 1954 (aged 81)
Paris, France
Pen name Colette
Occupation Novelist
Nationality French
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Colette was the pen name of the French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (January 28, 1873 – August 3, 1954). Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Bourgogne (Burgundy in eastern France This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a Pseudonym adopted by an Author or their publishers to conceal their identity Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the Medieval French literature is for the purpose of this article Literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle For more information on historical developments in this period see Renaissance, History of France, and Early Modern France. French literature of the 17th century &mdashthe so-called Grand Siècle &mdashspans the reigns of Henry IV of France, the Regency of Marie de Medici French literature of the 18th century usually refers to the literature written between 1715, the year of the death of King Louis XIV of France, and 1798 the year French literature of the nineteenth century is for the purpose of this article literature written in French from (roughly 1799 to 1900 French literature of the twentieth century is for the purpose of this article literature written in French from (roughly 1895 to 1990 Contemporary French literature is French literature roughly from the 1990s to Today. Chronological list of French language authors (regardless of nationality by date of birth This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) She is best known, at least in the English-speaking world, for her novel Gigi, which provided the plot for a Lerner & Loewe musical film and stage musical. Gigi is a 1944 novel by the French writer Colette about a wealthy cultured man of fashion who discovers he is in love with a young Parisian girl Lerner and Loewe are the American Musical comedy writing team of Lyricist and Librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick The musical film is a Film genre in which several Songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance.

Contents

Early life, marriage

Colette was born in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Yonne, in the Burgundy Region of France, the daughter of Jules-Joseph Colette and Adèle Eugénie Sidonie Landoy ("Sido"). Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye is a commune in the Yonne département, in the French region of Bourgogne. Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Bourgogne (Burgundy in eastern France Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In 1893 she married Henri Gauthier-Villars, a famous wit known as "Willy", who was 15 years her senior. Henry Gauthier-Villars ( August 8, 1859 - January 12, 1931) or Willy, his Nom-de-plume, was a French Fin-de-siecle

Her first books, the Claudine series, were published under the pen name of her husband, "Willy", writer, music critic, "literary charlatan and degenerate",[1]. Claudine is the protagonist of the early novels of the French author Colette, published under the name of her husband 'Willy' Claudine still has the power to charm; in belle epoque France it was downright shocking, much to Willy's satisfaction and profit.

Music hall career, affairs with women

Colette in a publicity still for Rêve d'Égypte
Colette in a publicity still for Rêve d'Égypte

In 1906 she left the unfaithful Gauthier-Villars, living for a time at the home of the American writer and salonist Natalie Barney. Natalie Clifford Barney ( 31 October 1876 &ndash 2 February 1972) was an American Expatriate who lived wrote and hosted a literary The two had a short affair, and remained friends until Colette's death. [1]

Colette took up work in the music halls of Paris, under the wing of Mathilde de Morny, the Marquise de Belbeuf, known as Missy, with whom she became romantically involved. Music hall is a form of British theatrical Entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960 Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city In 1907, the two performed together in a pantomime entitled Rêve d'Égypte at the Moulin Rouge. Can-can at the Moulin Rouge The main feature of an evening at the Moulin Rouge is the performance Their onstage kiss nearly caused a riot, which the police were called in to suppress. As a result of this scandal, further performances of Rêve d'Égypte were banned and Colette and de Morny were no longer able to openly live together, though their relationship continued a total of five years. [2]

She also was involved in a heterosexual relationship during this time, with the Italian writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. Gabriele d'Annunzio ( 12 March 1863 &ndash 1 March 1938) was an Italian Poet, Journalist, Novelist

Second marriage, affair with stepson

In 1912 Colette married Henri de Jouvenel, the editor of the newspaper Le Matin. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The couple had one daughter, Colette de Jouvenel, known to the family as Bel-Gazou. Colette de Jouvenel, also known as Bel-Gazou July 1913 - 1981 was the daughter of French writer Colette and her second husband Henri de Jouvenel. Colette de Jouvenel later stated that her mother did not want a child and left her in the care of an English nanny, only rarely coming to visit her.

In 1914, during World War I, Colette was approached to write a ballet for the Opéra de Paris which she outlined under the title "Divertissements pour ma fille". World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All After Colette herself chose Maurice Ravel to write the music, he reimagined the work as an opera, to which Colette agreed. Ravel received the libretto to L'Enfant et les sortilèges in 1918, and it was first performed March 21, 1925. L'enfant et les sortilèges Fantaisie lyrique en deux parties ( The Child and the Spells A Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts) is an Opera in one act with music Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [2]

During the war she converted her husband's St. Malo estate into a hospital for the wounded, and was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (1920). She divorced Henri de Jouvenel in 1924 after a much talked about affair with her stepson, Bertrand de Jouvenel. Bertrand de Jouvenel (October 31 1903–March 1 1987 was a French Philosopher, Political economist, and futurist.

Third marriage

Colette, painted ca. 1896 by Jacques Humbert
Colette, painted ca. 1896 by Jacques Humbert

Colette married Maurice Goudeket in 1935. After 1935 her legal name was simply Sidonie Goudeket. Maurice Goudeket published a book about his wife, Close to Colette: An Intimate Portrait of a Woman of Genius. An English translation was published in 1957 by Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, New York.

Continued writings

Post-war, her writing career bloomed following the publication of Chéri (1920). Chéri tells a story of the end of a six-year affair between an aging retired courtesan, Léa, and a pampered young man, Chéri. A courtesan in mid-16th century usage referred to a mistress or trained artisan of dance and singing especially one associated with wealthy powerful or upper-class Turning stereotypes upside-down, it is Chéri who wears silk pajamas and Léa's pearls, and who is the object of gaze. And in the end Léa demonstrates all the survival skills which Colette associates with femininity. (The story continued in The Last of Chéri (1926), which contrasts Léa's strength and Chéri's fragility and decline).

After Chéri Colette entered the world of modern poetry and paintings centered around Jean Cocteau, who was later her neighbor in Jardins du Palais-Royal. Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (5 July 1889 &ndash 11 October 1963 was a French Poet, Novelist, Dramatist, Designer, Boxing Their relationship and life is vividly depicted in their books. By 1927 she was frequently acclaimed as France's greatest woman writer. "It . . . has no plot, and yet tells of three lives all that should be known", wrote Janet Flanner of Sido on its publication in 1930. Janet Flanner (13 March 1892 - 7 November 1978 was an American Writer and Journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of The "Once again, and at greater length than usual, she has been hailed for her genius, humanities and perfect prose by those literary journals which years ago . . . lifted nothing at all in her direction except the finger of scorn. "

She published around 50 novels in total, many with autobiographical elements. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Her themes can be roughly divided into idyllic natural tales or dark struggles in relationships and love. All her novels were marked by clever observation and dialogue with an intimate, explicit style. Her most popular novel, Gigi, was made into a Broadway play as well as a highly successful Hollywood motion picture with the title Gigi starring Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, and Leslie Caron. Gigi is a 1944 novel by the French writer Colette about a wealthy cultured man of fashion who discovers he is in love with a young Parisian girl Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Not to be confused with Gigli. Gigi is a 1958 motion picture musical set in Paris France. Maurice Auguste Chevalier ( September 12, 1888 &ndash January 1, 1972) was a French Actor, Singer, and This article is about the French actor for the Musician see Louis Jordan. Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (lɛsli kaʁɔ̃ (born 1 July 1931 is a two-time Academy Award-nominated French Film actress and Dancer.

Legacy

A controversial figure throughout her life, Colette flaunted her lesbian affairs, and collaborated with the Vichy regime during World War II - while at the same time aiding her Jewish friends, including hiding her husband in her attic all through the war. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including She was a member of the Belgian Royal Academy (1935), president of the Académie Goncourt (1949) (and the first woman to be admitted into it, in 1945), and a Chevalier (1920) and a Grand Officier (1953) of the Légion d'honneur. There are two Royal Academies for Science and the Arts in Belgium, corresponding to the two main languages of the country Dutch ( Flanders) and French Edmond de Goncourt ( May 26, 1822 &ndash July 16, 1896) was a French writer critic book publisher and the founder of the Académie

When she died in Paris on August 3, 1954, she was given a state funeral, although she was refused Roman Catholic rites because of her divorce. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Colette is interred in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cimetière du Père-Lachaise officially cimetière de l'Est, "East Cemetery" is the largest Cemetery in the city of Paris

Colette's tomb in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Colette's tomb in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery. Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cimetière du Père-Lachaise officially cimetière de l'Est, "East Cemetery" is the largest Cemetery in the city of Paris

Notable works

Biography

References

  1. ^ Rodriguez, Suzanne (2002). Wild Heart: A Life: Natalie Clifford Barney and the Decadence of Literary Paris. New York: HarperCollins, 131. ISBN 0-06-093780-7.  
  2. ^ Benstock, Shari (1986). Women of the Left Bank: Paris, 1900–1940. Texas: University of Texas Press, 48-49. ISBN 0-292-79040-6.  

External links

Persondata
NAME Colette, Sidonie-Gabrielle
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Colette
SHORT DESCRIPTION French novelist
DATE OF BIRTH January 28, 1873
PLACE OF BIRTH Yonne, France
DATE OF DEATH August 3, 1954
PLACE OF DEATH Paris, France
Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Irving Penn (born 16 June 1917) is an American Photographer known for his portraiture and Fashion photography. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Bourgogne (Burgundy in eastern France This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
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