Musset, Alfred de |
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BORN 11 Dec 1810, Paris - DIED 1 May 1857, Paris BIRTH NAME Musset, Louis Charles Alfred GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 04, ligne 01, AC, 16) |
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Alfred de Musset was born into a cultivated family near Hôtel Cluny in Paris. His father held posts in several cabinets and published an edition of the works of Rousseau. He studied law and then medicine, but he abandoned both studies to live the life of a dandy. He met Hugo, Merimée and Sainte-Beuve at an early age. When he was eighteen he published a translation of "Confessions of an Opium Eater" by Thomas de Quincy. In 1829 "Contes d’Espagne et d’Italie", a volume of poetry, was immediately successful. He started writing for the theatre, but after a play failed he gave up and turned to historical drama's and plays that were meant to be read instead of acted. In 1833 he entered into a passionate relationship with George Sand. Its sudden end in Venice in 1834 was a severe blow for De Musset. He had several shorter relationships, but he turned to drinking and his work work started to show disillusion. His "Un Caprice" (1836) was a huge success at the Comédie Française where it was performed in 1847 as "L’esprit féminin vaut mieux que tous les raisonnements". His health detoriated and he started to feel increasingly lonely, although he was elected to the Académie française in 1852. His fame was fading when he died in Paris in 1857. Related persons • admired Chéri, Rose • was the lover of Félix, Rachel • visited Gay, Delphine • influenced Murger, Henri • travelled with Stendhal |
| Images |
 The grave of Alfred de Musset at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (28 Aug 2001) |
