Genevieve Lantelme
Encyclopedia
Geneviève "Ginette" Lantelme (born Mathilde Fossey; 1887-1911) was a French actress, socialite
and courtesan
, best known as the mistress
of Alfred Edwards
, from whose yacht she fell to her death in July 1911.
Misia
, Edwards' wife, was extremely jealous of her husband's mistress, and said in her memoirs "I had contrived to get a photograph of Lantelme; it adorned my dressing-table, and I made desperate efforts to look like her, dress my hair in the same way, wear the same clothes." Marcel Proust
used this as the model for Gilberte's jealousy of Rachel and Saint-Loup in À la recherche du temps perdu.
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
, best known as the mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
of Alfred Edwards
Alfred Edwards (journalist)
Alfred Charles Edwards was a journalist and magnate of the French press.-Life:The son of Charles Edwards and his French wife Emilie Caporal , Alfred Edwards studied in Paris before beginning his press career with Le Figaro in...
, from whose yacht she fell to her death in July 1911.
At fourteen she was one of the lures at her mother's brothelBrothelBrothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
, but soon became an acclaimed Paris actress. Theatregoers savoured her reputation for enjoying the bodies of men and women with equal pleasure: her languid slouch was imitated by other Parisian vamps.
Misia
Misia Sert
Misia Sert was a pianist of Polish descent who hosted an artistic salon in Paris...
, Edwards' wife, was extremely jealous of her husband's mistress, and said in her memoirs "I had contrived to get a photograph of Lantelme; it adorned my dressing-table, and I made desperate efforts to look like her, dress my hair in the same way, wear the same clothes." Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
used this as the model for Gilberte's jealousy of Rachel and Saint-Loup in À la recherche du temps perdu.
