The story of "The Lady of the Camellias" by Marie Duplessis, France's most famous courtesan

She lived a fast, beautiful, and tragic life—like the heroine of the novel that inspired Alexandre Dumas. Marie Duplessis, the inspiration for the famous "Lady of the Camellias," rose from a poor village girl to a brilliant Parisian courtesan. Her life was dazzling and brief, like a flash of lightning—filled with passion, secrets, and pain. Marie's story is a tale of love that defied the pressures of the spotlight and the prejudices of society.

Marie Duplessis's real name was Rose-Alphonsine Plessis. She was born on January 15, 1824, in the French commune of Nonant-les-Pins, in northwestern France. Her father, Marin Plessis, was a farmer and stationer, and nothing is known about her mother. The family was poor, and the head of the family was an over-indulgent drinker.

According to contemporaries, as a child, Rose wore coarse linen clothes and often went hungry, which later contrasted with her radiant image in Paris. Growing up in poverty, the girl understood that she had to rely only on her own strength in life. From childhood, she helped her parents on the farm and in the shop, and hired herself out as a laborer to neighbors. At 15, tired of poverty, the young Plessis set out to conquer Paris.

There's another version of how Rosa left her home. They say her drunken father sold her as a servant to a passing gentleman. According to this story, the girl spent some time in labor and sexual slavery for a wealthy old man, from whom she eventually escaped.

In Paris, her first employer was the milliner Madame Charles, where she earned just three francs a week—just enough for bread and a room in a cheap boarding house. She then decided to use her body and appearance to improve her financial situation.

Nature endowed Marie with astonishing beauty. She was fragile, with thick dark hair and large, clear eyes, and her smile instantly captivated anyone who came near her. Marie Duplessis's appearance was so perfect that Parisian gossips spread rumors that she drank a daily glass of milk mixed with crushed pearls to achieve her distinctive porcelain complexion.

It's worth adding that Rosa wasn't stupid either. Despite her lack of education, she was quite knowledgeable and could hold a conversation on a variety of topics. Her mother taught her to read and write, and as a teenager, Rosa read every book in the house and among her neighbors.

Marie drew well, sang beautifully, and was interested in politics. Her favorite books included Alexandre Dumas père's "Queen Margot," which she read at age 14, and Eugène Sue's "The Death of America"—works that later became her "wish list" for a life in high society. She knew Béranger's poems by heart and could improvise on the piano—a skill that later amazed the guests at her salon, since at the time few women, especially courtesans, could play without notes.

At the age of 16, Rose took the name Marie Duplessis and began searching for a wealthy patron. Her choice of name was no accident: "Duplessis" sounded noble, while "Marie" was popular among aristocrats of the time. She had no trouble finding a wealthy bourgeois, and then several more. She dated them for money, seeing nothing wrong with it. Soon, Marie truly struck it lucky, charming the French diplomat Duc de Guiche, who later became a minister.

This wealthy and influential man helped Marie Duplessis become one of the most flamboyant women in Paris. He taught her good manners, created a new image, and introduced her to many important people. Duplessis associated exclusively with high society and the wealthiest men.

The courtesan earned over 100,000 francs a year (by comparison, the annual income of a successful doctor or lawyer at the time rarely exceeded 4,000–5,000 francs). And that's not counting the generous gifts from her influential admirers. In her free time, she visited theaters, museums, and fashionable restaurants, and took horseback riding and music lessons. Over time, Marie opened her own salon, where she hosted glittering soirees, gathering celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs, and artists under one roof.

Guests at Duplessis's salon included the writers Eugène Sue, Arsène Housset, and Roger de Beauvoir, the poet Alfred de Musset, and the artist Édouard Viénot, who painted several excellent portraits of his hostess. Marie Duplessis became the most famous and desirable woman in Paris, surpassing in popularity other courtesans such as Adisa Ozy and Lola Montez, the favorite of the King of Bavaria.

But Marie's life changed when she found true love. The courtesan's heart was captured by the writer Alexandre Dumas the Younger. They met by chance at a dinner party and exchanged a few words. Then the writer left, and their communication ceased.

They didn't see each other for two years, and when they met again in 1842, they immediately realized their feelings were mutual. Alexandre Dumas described his beloved thus:

The writer and the courtesan had little in common. Furthermore, the poor writer couldn't afford to spend large sums of money on the lady of his heart or give her lavish gifts. But this didn't hinder their affair, filled with tenderness and passion. Dumas later wrote that women accustomed to relationships of convenience, deep down, long for true feelings. This is precisely what happened to Marie. Their affair lasted 11 months—from the summer of 1844 to August 1845. During this time, Dumas, despite his relative poverty, nevertheless gave her an exquisite diamond signet ring, which Marie wore for the rest of her life.

The lovers were happy together, although their feelings were marred by certain factors. Firstly, Marie continued to date wealthy men. Dumas couldn't provide for her needs, and Duplessis had no other means of earning a living. Secondly, she was terminally ill. She had tuberculosis, which was slowly but surely taking her to the grave.

Their affair lasted only about a year, but left such a lasting mark that Dumas later admitted, "I wrote the book to prolong its life." It is said that Alexandre Dumas initiated the breakup. His farewell letter to Marie includes the following lines:

Dumas based his tragic love story on one of his best works, the novel "The Lady of the Camellias." The protagonist, the courtesan Marguerite Gautier, was based on Marie Duplessis. The title of the work reveals one of the secrets of the writer's lover. Due to an illness, Marie could not stand the scent of flowers. She loved only camellias, which were almost devoid of fragrance. She ordered camellias of a special white variety—Camellia japonica 'Alba Plena'—because their petals did not fall off like those of other varieties.

Marie's habit of wearing camellias wasn't just an aesthetic choice. She ordered white camellias from the florist Madame Bargy for 25 days of the month and red ones for the other five, which became a subtle signal to those in the know about her physiological cycle and availability.

After her break with Dumas, Marie had a relationship with the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. He dedicated several musical études to her, and in his letters called her "a beautiful and tragic muse." Duplessis later married Count Edouard de Perregaux, whom many considered unofficial. This didn't stop the beautiful woman from calling herself a countess. But Marie couldn't enjoy her marital status for long.

On February 3, 1847, the 23-year-old courtesan died of tuberculosis. Just before her death, still bedridden, she ordered a carriage—a final whim of the dying, costing 100 francs. Duplessis was buried in the famous Montmartre Cemetery. Hundreds of Parisians came to pay their last respects; newspapers reported that the crowd was as large as that at the funeral of a famous politician.

After Marie Duplessis's death, it was revealed that her wealth and glitz had been ostentatious. She was so deeply in debt that even her wealthy husband couldn't pay them. The famous courtesan's possessions were auctioned off. Her belongings sold for next to nothing: silk dresses went for 20 francs, and jewelry for half their value. Her library of 320 books was sold in two days—among them were 14 copies of "Queen Margot," all annotated in her own handwriting.

Alexandre Dumas, who was traveling in Africa at the time of Marie's death, arrived in time for the final auction. He was only able to purchase the delicate gold chain she wore around her neck as a memento of his former lover.

The theatrical production of "The Lady of the Camellias" premiered in 1852, just five years after Marie's death. The play was a huge success, and Giuseppe Verdi later adapted the story into the opera "La Traviata."

Her life was as dazzling as a flash and as short as a breath. Marie Duplessis became a symbol of an era, a woman whose image inspired a great writer and has forever remained in the cultural fabric. What do you think—was she a victim of society or did she choose her own path in search of love and recognition?