Mars, Anne Françoise Hippolyte Boutet Monvel

ACTOR (FRANCE)
BORN 9 Feb 1779, Paris - DIED 20 Mar 1847, Paris
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 08, ligne 02, AC, 23)

Known as mademoiselle Mars. Natural daughter of the actor Monvel (1745-1812) and the actress mademoiselle Maes Salvetat. She started with children's parts and joined the Comédie-Française in 1799. She was beautiful and talented and starred in the plays of Molière, Marivaux, Sedaine and Beaumarchais. She was a great admirer of Napoleon, who admired her talent as well. During the hundred days she appeared upon the stage in a dressed covered with violets (a symbol for Napoleon's followers after the emperor had said on Elba that he would 'return in the spring, with the violets').

After the restoration the royalists spoke against her because of her career during the empire, but Louis XVIII gave her a pension in recognition of her talent and is said to have commented that even violets were included in the amnesty.

She continued her career and was a member of the Comédie-Française for 33 years. She was also involved in the education of foreign actors, among them Charlotta Eriksson and Emilie Högquist. In 1841 she left the stage.

Related persons
• performed with Bigottini, Émilie
• was painted by Gérard, François
• admired Napoleon I Bonaparte

Images

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

 

Sources
• Le Clère, Marcel, Cimetières & Sepultures de Paris, Hachette, Paris, 1978
Winkler Prins Encyclopedie (editie 1909), 1909
Mademoiselle Mars - Wikipedia


Mars, Mella

Published: 12 Feb 2008
Last update: 26 Jan 2022