Marie Bashkirtseff, born Maria Konstantinovna Bashkirtseva (; – 31 October 1884), was an émigré artistBashkirtseff, Marie (Encyclopedia.com)
/ref>Encyclopedia Britannica
/ref> who was born into a noble family on their estate near the city of

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

. She lived and worked in Paris, and died at the age of 25.

Life and painting career

Bashkirtseff was born in Gavrontsi ( Havrontsi) near

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(present-day

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

), to a wealthy noble family. Her father was a local marshal of nobility, Konstantin Pavlovich Bashkirtsev. Her mother Maria Stepanovna Babanina (1833—1920) also belonged to Russian nobles. Her parents separated when she was 12. As a result, she grew up mostly abroad, traveling with her mother throughout most of Europe, with longer spells in Germany and on the Riviera, until the family settled in Paris. Educated privately and with early musical talent, she lost her chance at a career as a singer when illness destroyed her voice. She then determined to become an artist, and she studied painting in France at the Robert-Fleury studio and at the . The Académie, as one of the few establishments that accepted female students, attracted young women from all over Europe and the United States. Fellow students at the Académie included

Anna Bilińska Anna Bilińska (pronounced: also known as Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowicz; 8 December 1854 – 8 April 1893) was a Polish painter, known for her portraits. A representative of realism, she spent most of her life in Paris, and is considered the "fir ...

and especially Louise Breslau, whom Bashkirtseff viewed as her only real rival. Bashkirtseff would go on to produce a remarkable, if fairly conventional, body of work in her short lifetime, exhibiting at the Paris Salon as early as 1880 and every year thereafter until her death (except 1883). In 1884, she exhibited a portrait of Paris slum children entitled ''The Meeting'' and a pastel portrait of her cousin, for which she received an honorable mention. Bashkirtseff's best-known works are ''The Meeting'' (now in the

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) () is a museum in Paris, France, on the Rive Gauche, Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts railway station built from 1898 to 1900. The museum holds mai ...

, Paris) and her 1881 ''In the Studio'', a portrait of her fellow artists at work. Although a large number of Bashkirtseff's works were destroyed by the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

s during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, at least 60 survive. In 2000, a U.S. touring exhibition entitled "Overcoming All the Obstacles: The Women of Academy Julian" featured works by Bashkirtseff and her schoolmates. Bashkirtseff - In the Studio

As a painter, Bashkirtseff took her cue from her friend

Jules Bastien-Lepage Jules Bastien-Lepage (1 November 1848 – 10 December 1884) was a French painter closely associated with the beginning of naturalism, an artistic style that grew out of the Realist movement and paved the way for the development of impressioni ...

's admiration for

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *American Realism *Classical Realism *Liter ...

and naturalism. Where Bastien-Lepage had found his inspiration in nature, Bashkirtseff turned to the urban scene, writing, "I say nothing of the fields because Bastien-Lepage reigns over them as a sovereign; but the streets, however, have not yet had their... Bastien." By unlucky chance, both artists succumbed prematurely to chronic illness in the same year, and the later pages of Bashkirtseff's journal record her visits to the dying painter. Dying of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

at the age of 25, Bashkirtseff lived just long enough to emerge as an intellectual in Paris in the 1880s. She wrote several articles for

Hubertine Auclert Hubertine Auclert (; 10 April 1848 – 4 August 1914) was a leading French feminist and a campaigner for women's suffrage. Early life Born in the Allier '' département'' in the Auvergne area of France into a middle-class family, Hubertine Aucl ...

's feminist newspaper ''

La Citoyenne ''La Citoyenne'' (, ''The Citizeness'') was a French feminist newspaper published in Paris from 1881 through 1891 by Hubertine Auclert. It was first published on February 13, 1881, and appeared bi-monthly. The newspaper was a forceful and unrel ...

'' in 1881 under the

nom de plume A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

"Pauline Orrel." One of her most-quoted sayings is "Let us love dogs, let us love only dogs! Men and cats are unworthy creatures." Bashkirtseff died in Paris in 1884, and she is buried in Cimetière de Passy, Paris. Her great friend

Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch ( / ''Knez Božidar Karađorđević''; 11 January 1862 – 2 April 1908) was a Serbian artist, art writer, world traveller, and member of the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty. He gave singing and drawing lessons and ...

was present at her deathbed. Her monument is a full-sized artist's studio that has been declared a historic monument by the government of France. Marie Bashkirtseff was included in the 2018 exhibit ''Women in Paris 1850-1900''.

The diary

From approximately the age of 13, Bashkirtseff kept a journal, and it is probably for this that she is most famous today. It has been called "a strikingly modern psychological self-portrait of a young, gifted mind", and her urgent prose, which occasionally breaks out into dialogue, remains extremely readable. She was multilingual and despite her self-involvement, was a keen observer with an acute ear for hypocrisy, so that her journal also offers a near-novelistic account of the late nineteenth century European

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...

. A consistent theme throughout her journal is her deep desire to achieve fame, inflected by her increasing fear that her intermittent illnesses might turn out to be tuberculosis. In a prefatory section written toward the end of her life, in which she recounts her family history, she writes, "If I do not die young I hope to live as great artist; but if I die young, I intend to have my journal, which cannot fail to be interesting, published." Similarly: "When I am dead, my life, which appears to me a remarkable one, will be read. (The only thing wanting is that it should have been different)." In effect, the first half of Bashkirtseff's journal is a

coming-of-age story In genre studies, a coming-of-age story is a genre of literature, theatre, film, and video game that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, or "coming of age". Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or interna ...

while the second is an account of heroic suffering. Bashkirtseff's journal was first published in 1887, and was only the second diary by a woman published in France to that date. It was an immediate success, not least because its cosmopolitan confessional style was a marked departure from the contemplative, mystical diaries of the writer

Eugénie de Guérin Eugénie de Guérin (; 29 January 1805 – 31 May 1848) was a French writer and the sister of the poet Maurice de Guérin. Her ''Journals'' (1861, Eng. trans., 1865) and her ''Lettres'' (1864, Eng. trans., 1865) indicated the possession of gif ...

that had been published in 1862. An English translation appeared two years later under the title ''Marie Bashkirtseff: The Journal of a Young Artist 1860–1884''. Translated by Mary J. Serrano, it was heavily abridged and bowdlerized, her relatives seeing to it that a good deal of material they considered unflattering to the family was removed.

British Prime Minister

William Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he was Prime Minister ...

referred to her journal as "a book without a parallel", and another early admirer was

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. The late nineteenth century English novelist

George Gissing George Robert Gissing ( ; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. In the 1890s he was considered one of the three greatest novelists in England, and by the 1940s he had been ...

read the original French version over eight days in June 1890.Coustillas, Pierre ed. London and the Life of Literature in Victorian England: the Diary of George Gissing, Novelist. Brighton: Harvester Press, 1978, p.219-20. It remained popular, eventually spinning off both plays and movies based on her life story, including ''

The Affairs of Maupassant ''The Affairs of Maupassant'' is a 1935 Austrian-Italian drama film production. The German title is ''Das Tagebuch der Geliebten'' and the Italian title is ''Il diario di una donna amata'', which means "the diary of a woman in love". An historical ...

'', directed by

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...

and released in the United States in 1938. Her diary was cited as an inspiration by the American writer

Mary MacLane Mary MacLane (May 1, 1881 – ''c''. August 6, 1929) was a controversial Canadian-born American writer whose frank memoirs helped usher in the confessional style of autobiographical writing. MacLane was known as the "Wild Woman of Butte".Wats ...

, whose own shockingly confessional diary was written a bare generation later, and it was mentioned as a model by later writers who became known for their diaries, including

Pierre Louÿs Pierre-Félix Louÿs (; 10 December 1870 – 4 June 1925) was a Belgian poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who sought to "express pagan sensuality with stylistic perf ...

Katherine Mansfield Kathleen Mansfield Murry (née Beauchamp; 14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) was a New Zealand writer and critic who was an important figure in the Literary modernism, modernist movement. Her works are celebrated across the world and have been ...

, W.N.P. Barbellion, and Anais Nin. Her letters, consisting of her correspondence with the writer

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of the short story, as well as a representative of the naturalist school, depicting human lives, destinies and s ...

(which she had begun under an assumed name) were first published in 1891. Until recently the accepted date of Bashkirtseff's birth was 11 November

New Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various Europe, European countrie ...

], 1860. After the discovery of the original manuscript of Bashkirtseff's journal in the , however, it was found that her journal had been abridged and censored by her family in its first editions. Her date of birth (1858 not 1860) was falsified by her mother to make Bashkirtseff appear even more precocious. An unabridged edition of the complete journal, based on the original manuscript, has been published in French in 16 volumes, and excerpts from the years 1873–1876 have been translated into English under the title ''I Am the Most Interesting Book of All'' (see editions listed below). Bashkirtseff-grave

Image:Bashkirtseva Autumn.jpg, ''Autumn'', 1883 Image:Bashkirtseff - The Meeting.jpg, ''The Meeting'', 1884 Image:Marie Bashkirtseff - Der Regenschirm - 1883.jpeg, ''The Umbrella'', 1883 Image:Marie Bashkirtseff 2.jpg, ''Spring'',

Editions of the diary

* ''The Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff: I Am the Most Interesting Book of All (Volume I) and Lust for Glory (Volume II)''. English Translation by Katherine Kernberger. E-book version: , Publisher: Fonthill Press, 2013. * ''Mon journal. Texte intégral.'' Volumes I-XVI (complete text of the journal, transcribed by Ginette Apostolescu). Paris: Montesson (5 rue Jean-Claude-Bézanier, 78360 ). Cercle des amis de Marie Bashkirtseff, 2005. . * ''I Am the Most Interesting Book of All: The Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff Vol 1''. English translation by Phyllis Howard Kernberger and Katherine Kernberger. , , Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1997. * ''Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff.'' Translated by A.D. Hall and G.B. Heckel. New York: Rand, McNally, 1890. (Title page state: "The only complete English edition"). * ''The Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff.'' Translated, with an introduction, by

Mathilde Blind Mathilde Blind (born Mathilda Cohen; 21 March 1841 – 26 November 1896), was a German-born English poet, fiction writer, biographer, essayist and critic. In the early 1870s she emerged as a pioneering female aesthete in a mostly male community ...

. 2 volumes. London, 1890. * ''Marie Bashkirtseff: The Journal of a Young Artist 1860–1884''. English translation by Mary J. Serrano. New York: Cassell, 1889. * ''Journal de Marie Bashkirtseff, avec un portrait''. 2 volumes, 1887.

References

External links

Life and painting career

The diary

Editions of the diary

References

Further reading

External links