The Museum of Romantic Life / Le Musée de la vie romantique, 9th arrondissement, Paris, France: Literary Île-de-France #40

'Histoire de Paris

Hôtel Renan-Scheffer

Sur les terrains de l'ancienne maison religieuse de Saint-Lazare, vendus comme biens nationaux en 1792, d'habiles spéculateurs avaient créé, vers 1815, un vaste parc d'attractions dont les "Montagnes russes", les premières en France formaient le clou. Vendus vers 1820, ces terrains furent lotis en petits hôtels avec jardins qui attirèrent la jeunesse romantique un peu fortunée de l'époque. Le peintre Ary Scheffer s'installa dans la rue Chaptal nouvellement ouverte et aménagea autour de son petit hôtel un atelier et un jardin d'hiver avec fontaine en rocaille. Peintre d'histoire et habile portraitiste, Scheffer recevait ici toute la société artistique et littéraire de son temps : Chopin et George Sand, ses voisins du square d'Orléans, Franz Liszt et Pauline Viardot, Lamennais et l'historien Augustin Thierry. Ce dernier y amenait Ernest Renan, qui devait épouser Cornélie Scheffer, nièce du maître de maison. Transmis par la famille Renan à la Ville de Paris, ce lieu conscré au monde artistique et littéraire des années 1820 à 1860 est devenu le Musée de la vie romantique.'

'History of Paris

Renan-Scheffer Hotel

On the grounds of the former religious house of Saint-Lazare, sold as national property in 1792, smart speculators had created, by about 1815, a huge amusement park whose Big Dippers, the first in France, formed the main attraction. Sold in about 1820, these lands were divided into small hotels with gardens that attracted the quite wealthy romantic youth of the day. The painter Ary Scheffer settled here in the newly built rue Chaptal and arranged around his little hotel a workroom and winter garden with a stone fountain. A historical painter and a gifted portraitist, Scheffer welcomed here the whole artistic and literary world of his time: Chopin and George Sand, his neighbors from the square d'Orléans, Franz Liszt and Pauline Viardot, Lamennais and the historian Augustin Thierry. Thierry brought here Ernest Renan, who would marry Cornélie Scheffer, the niece of the master of the house. Given to the City of Paris by the Renan family, this site dedicated to the artistic and literary world of the years 1820 to 1860 became the Museum of Romantic Life.'

The Museum of Romantic Life.

Bust of Ernest Renan, by Léopold Bernhard Bernstamm.

Mme Ernest Renan, born Cornélie Schaffer, by Ary Schaffer, 1837.

Cornélia Marjolin-Scheffer, by her father Ary Scheffer, 1857.

Montmartre Cemetery / Cimetière de Montmartre, 18th arrondissement, Paris, France: Literary Île-de-France #13

'ÉMILE ZOLA

1840—1902

A REPOSÉ ICI DU 5 OCTOBRE 1902

AU 4 JUIN 1908, DATE DE SON TRANSFERT AU PANTHÉON'

[RESTED HERE FROM OCTOBER 1902

TO JUNE 1908, THE DATE OF HIS TRANSFER TO THE PANTHÉON]

Zola died in his Paris home in rue de Bruxelles, 9th arrondissement, on 28 September 1902: the flue had not been drawing properly, and he was poisoned with carbon monoxide. His J'accuse article in L'Aurore had brought him many enemies and although it is possible that there was foul play, nothing was ever proved. His wife Alexandrine survived, and she ensured that Zola's other partner, Jeanne Rozelet, and her two children by Zola — who lived in Verneuil close to the Zolas other home in Médan — were informed of the event.

The funeral on 5 October was attended by 50,000 people.

Eugène Labiche (1815—88), a dramatist best known for farces about the middle class, such as Le Chapeau de paille d'Italie (1851) and Le Voyage de Monsieur Perrichon (1860).

George Feydeau (1862—1921) was also a dramatist best known for his farces, such as La Dame est chez Maxim (1899) and Occupe-toi d'Amélie (1908).

The family grave of the romantic poet, novelist and playwright Alfred de Vigny (1797—1863).

The Goncourt brothers, both writers, but best known for the establishing of the Académie Goncourt as a result of Edmond's will.

Edmond de Goncourt (1822—96).

Jules de Goncourt (1830—70).

Ary Scheffer (1795—1858) was a painter who frequently took his subjects from literature, notably from the works of Dante, Byron and Goethe. Interestingly, he also did a portrait of Pierre-Jean de Béranger, whose joint tomb with his friend Jacques-Antoine Manuel was featured in my blog post on the Cimetière Père-Lachaise.

Detail of distressed angel over the lintel.

Ernest Renan (1823—92) married Cornélie Henriette Scheffer, Ary Scheffer's niece.

Renan was very interested in science, particularly in Darwin's evolutionary theories. His seven-volume Histoire des origines du christianisme (1863 to 1881) argued that Jesus's life should be considered in the same way as anyone else's, and that the Bible should be subjected to the same critical analysis as any other written work. Unsurprisingly, this caused anger in the Catholic Church.
 

Alexandre Dumas fils (1824—95), a dramatist and novelist best known for La Dame aux camélias (1852).

The mask of death.
 

'À

HENRI MEILHAC

AUTEUR DRAMATIQUE

MEMBRE DE L'ACADÉMIE FRANÇAISE

EN TÉMOIGNAGE DE SINCÈRE ADMIRATION

ET D'AFFECTUEUSE GRATITUDE

CE MONUMENT FUT ÉLEVÉ

PAR UN AMI

1900'

Meilhac (1837—97) worked on Offenbach's La Belle Hélène (1865) and La Vie parisienne (1867).
 

Henri Murger, author of the once very fashionable sentimental novel Scènes de la Vie de Bohème, later adapted into Puccini's La Bohème.

Henri Beyle (Stendhal) (1783—1842), most noted for the novels Le Rouge et le noir (1930) and La Chartreuse de Palme (1939).