Daudet, Lucien

AUTHOR, PAINTER (FRANCE)
BORN 11 Jun 1878, Paris: 3e - DIED 16 Nov 1946, Paris: 7e
BIRTH NAME Daudet, Marie Alphone Jules Lucien
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 26, chemin Molière et La Fontaine, ligne 02 (Malroux: P 25))

Lucien Daudet was the son of Alphonse Daudet and Julia Allard. Between 1887 and 1889 Louis-Pilate de Brinn'Gaubast (1865-1944) was his tutor. He was homosexual and he met Marcel Poust at an early age. Jean Lorrain wrote in his newspaper column that Lucien and Proust had some kind of sentimental affair and this led to a duel between Proust and Lorrain in 1897. Jean Cocteau was another friend. He took painting lessons at the Académie Julian and was taught by Whitler.

In 1899 he arrived unannounced on a bicycle at the Villa Cyrnos where former empress Eugénie lived. He had an introduction by Eugénie's niece, the marquise de Casa-Fuerte, that enabled him to present himself. After that he visited Eugénie often and he admired her until his death. In 1911 he published "L’Impératrice Eugénie" with her permission and in 1935 he published "Dans l’ombre de l’impératrice Eugénie". He was the author of fifteen books, but he stood far in the shadow of his famous father. He thought little of his own paintings because he considered them far inferior in quality to those of Whistler.

Later in life he befriended the painter Léon Gard, who painted his portrait in 1941. In 1943 he married Marie-Therèse, the younger sister of the author Pierre Benoit. He died in 1946 and was buried with his father at Père Lachaise in Paris. Marie-Thérèse died in 1974.

Family
• Father: Daudet, Alphonse
• Mother: Daudet-Allard, Julia

Related persons
• was pupil of Whistler, James MacNeill

Events
20/7/1920Funeral of empress Eugénie at Farnborough. The kings and queens of England, Spain and Portugal were present at the funeral of the former empress at St. Michael's Abbey Church in Farnborough. Many princes, princesses, ambassadors and old friends were there, including the famliyes Walewski, Clary, Bacciochi and Bassano. Also the Marquis de Girardin, Comte Fleury, Colonel Nitot, Colonel Sautereau, Dr Hugenschmidt, Ethel Smyth and Lucien Daudet. There was a plan to fire 21 salutes, but this was cancelled after a protest by the French government. 

Images

The mausoleum of Alphonse Daudet at Père Lachaise, Paris.
Picture by Androom (19 Nov 2006)

 

Sources
• Ridley, Jasper, Napoleon III and Eugénie, Constable, London, 1979
Lucien Daudet — Wikipédia


Daudet-Allard, Julia

Published: 23 May 2022
Last update: 19 Dec 2023