Mary Duplessi Famous French courtesan, mistress of Alexandre Dumas son. Country: France

Biography of Marie Duplessis

Marie Duplessis was a famous French courtesan and the mistress of Alexandre Dumas fils. Born Alphonsine Plessis in 1824, she grew up in a farmer's family. After moving to Paris, she changed her surname, adding the prefix "du" to imply noble origins, although her maternal grandmother was indeed a noblewoman. Initially, Marie worked as a milliner, but at the age of 16, she became a courtesan.

Her first patron was the owner of a restaurant, whose name is no longer known. He was soon replaced by the Duke of Guiche, and from then on, Marie's life changed dramatically. She enjoyed carriage rides during the day, followed by evenings at the opera or theater and romantic encounters with various men. Marie's popularity was so great that she could easily afford to spend 100,000 francs a year, while a clerk's annual salary was only 1,500 francs.

Contemporaries described Marie as a "very attractive young woman with a petite figure and a captivating smile." Her first encounter with Alexandre Dumas fils took place in September 1844. Their romance lasted for less than a year, ending in August 1845 at Dumas' initiative. In a farewell letter, he wrote:

"Dear Marie, I am not so wealthy as to love you as much as I would like, and not so poor as to be loved as much as you would like. So let's forget both: you - the name that probably means little to you; me - the happiness that is no longer within my reach. It's pointless to tell you how sad I am because you know how much I love you. So farewell. You are too noble not to understand the reasons that prompted me to write this letter, and too wise not to forgive me. With a thousand better memories."

Marie's last lover was the composer Franz Liszt. Despite her lavish lifestyle, including a luxurious apartment, expensive jewelry, and a bohemian way of life, Marie's life was overshadowed by tuberculosis, an incurable disease at that time. It eventually caused her death.

Marie Duplessis passed away on February 5, 1847, at the age of 23. A few weeks after her death, all her belongings were auctioned off to cover her debts, as she had been unable to earn money in her final years due to her worsening illness. She was buried in the Montmartre Cemetery.