Joséphine Duchesnois
Joséphine Duchesnois | |
---|---|
Born | Catherine-Joséphine Rafin 7 June 1777 Paris |
Died | 8 February 1835 | (aged 57)
Nationality | French |
Occupation | actor |
Years active | 1797 - 1833 |
Catherine-Joséphine Duchesnois, née Rafin, often simply called Mademoiselle Duchesnois, (1777–1835) was a classical French actress who performed at the Comédie-Française.[1][2] She was also one of Napoleon's mistresses.
Early life
Born on 5 June 1777 at Saint-Saulve near Valenciennes, Duchesnois was the daughter of an innkeeper. After working for a time as a maidservant and a seamstress, she first appeared in Valenciennes at an amateur production in January 1797.[2] Following her apparently successful debut, she went to Paris to take drama courses under a Mademoiselle Florence. Despite her plain looks, she was picked out by Madame de Montesson who managed to have her trialled by the Théâtre-Français for a period of five months.[3]
Career
Her Paris début was on 3 August 1802 in
Duchesnois became one of Napoleon's many mistresses, rivalling fellow actress
Death and burial
Joséphine Duchesnois retired from the stage on 9 January 1833 when she was 55. She died in Paris two years later on 8 February 1835 and is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Her monument there was erected following contributions from the Royal Family, the Comédie-Française, the City of Paris and several other French cities.[3]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-43437-9.
- ^ a b "DUCHESNOIS, Catherine, (1777-1835), comédienne" (in French). Napoleon.org. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ a b c "Duchenois, Catherine Joséphine Rafin dite la (1777-1835)" (in French). Amis et Passionées du Père-Lachaise. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-9491-0.