Julie grew up at Parlange and never left. She was content with her quiet life. Julie painted a portrait of Valentine. It took her two months to complete it. When it was done she hung it over the parlor mantel. This was one of her first pictures to be displayed. Julie had painted for memories-flash impressionistically in the backround. Julie had become a professional artist. Artists admired her work of art and hired her to copy two Titians at Louvre for the St. Louis Cathedral. Julie was more of a mother figure to Virginie then her own mother.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Analyzing The Painting
The painting Madame X, is a significant painting from the realism era in 90's. The mastermind of this painting is John Singer Sargent. It is an oil on canvas painting currently located in the metropolitan museum of art. The painting is well known for the beautiful and seductive woman known as Madame X. The painting was initially considered a vulgar display of sexuality. Her shockingly pale but attractive skin demonstrates her beauty. The paint strokes and the use of colors blend together to create an eye pleasing view. The manipulation of light focuses on Madame X while giving the background an elegant glow. The posture of Madame X shows her defiance and dignity as it was unusual to be looking away in a painting. Her emotionless face also gives the painting and her a look of seriousness and strength. The painting is unique and quite beautiful.
Beauty Standards in Madame X
Gioia Diliberto
Who was the genius behind the notorious novel "I am Madame X"?
Her name is Gioia Diliberto. Gioia is a journalist, biographer and novelist. She is well known for her written biographies of Jane Addams, Hadley Hemingway, and Brenda Frazier, as well as the critically acclaimed novel I am Madame X. Gioia has risen to fame through her majestic use of vocabulary and her nail-biting story plots. Gioia has always shown an interest in writing about prominent women. Gioia's most famous novel is none other than I am Madame X. The novel takes you back in time to19th century Paris where we are introduced to Virginie. Gioia Giliberto has created for us a character who is as compelling and mysterious as the likeness of her in the famous and infamous, portrait of Madame X. She has also provided an entertaining and illuminating look at society during the later half of the 19th century. Even without the basis of the story stemming from the actual painting, it still would have been fascinating and every bit as readable.
Her name is Gioia Diliberto. Gioia is a journalist, biographer and novelist. She is well known for her written biographies of Jane Addams, Hadley Hemingway, and Brenda Frazier, as well as the critically acclaimed novel I am Madame X. Gioia has risen to fame through her majestic use of vocabulary and her nail-biting story plots. Gioia has always shown an interest in writing about prominent women. Gioia's most famous novel is none other than I am Madame X. The novel takes you back in time to19th century Paris where we are introduced to Virginie. Gioia Giliberto has created for us a character who is as compelling and mysterious as the likeness of her in the famous and infamous, portrait of Madame X. She has also provided an entertaining and illuminating look at society during the later half of the 19th century. Even without the basis of the story stemming from the actual painting, it still would have been fascinating and every bit as readable.
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| Gioia Diliberto, the author of I Am Madame X Official website - http://www.gioiadiliberto.com/ |
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Was Virginie truly powerful?
I was reading book reviews about I am Madame X and many of them claim the main character, Virginie, was a powerful woman in the painting and in her life. However, I disagree with their claims. Virignie had many incidents that went against the idea of "power".
Virginie had no control of her own life. Her mother made all her decisions. Her mother lived through her fame in society. Mama made Virginie take piano lessons, take dangerous medicine for beuaty purposes, and have an arranged marriage to hide her pregnanccy. Virginie's poor relationship with her mother made her susceptible to wanting attention and love from men. This made it worse because she got her heart broken by Dr. Pozzi. She thought he loved her and was going to marry her, especially since she was going to have his child. He told her he cannot get married. Virginie almost committed suicide for him. He was her weakness. She did not have control of her feelings and did not know her exact needs. She had lovers and never truly settled down, except her arranged marriage with Pierre. That marriage did not help Virginie as well as I though it would. She stayed the same insecure, weak person.
In the painting, she looks confident and glamorous. She portrayed an image of someone strong and independent. That was her actual body painted, but the energy given off by the painting is not who she actually is. She still had insecurities and difficult time accepting her true beauty. A powerful woman has no doubts or noticeable flaws. Virginie is the total opposite.
Virginie had no control of her own life. Her mother made all her decisions. Her mother lived through her fame in society. Mama made Virginie take piano lessons, take dangerous medicine for beuaty purposes, and have an arranged marriage to hide her pregnanccy. Virginie's poor relationship with her mother made her susceptible to wanting attention and love from men. This made it worse because she got her heart broken by Dr. Pozzi. She thought he loved her and was going to marry her, especially since she was going to have his child. He told her he cannot get married. Virginie almost committed suicide for him. He was her weakness. She did not have control of her feelings and did not know her exact needs. She had lovers and never truly settled down, except her arranged marriage with Pierre. That marriage did not help Virginie as well as I though it would. She stayed the same insecure, weak person.
In the painting, she looks confident and glamorous. She portrayed an image of someone strong and independent. That was her actual body painted, but the energy given off by the painting is not who she actually is. She still had insecurities and difficult time accepting her true beauty. A powerful woman has no doubts or noticeable flaws. Virginie is the total opposite.
Fashion During the Civil War
The clothing worn during the American-Civil War, were specialized dresses for every occasion: gowns, ball dresses, etc. There's the hoop skirt which are called southern belles. The Hoop extended out further in the back then the front. According to magazine articles from the era, a lady should choose colors based on harmony, simplicity and influenced by nature. The Civil War clothing worn are Victorian styles. The lower classes wore fabrics that didn't include hoop skirts they wore cheap cages. It was a struggle at times to get different fabrics.
In the story I Am Madame X it is similar to all that was said before. On page 138, Virginie was brought to where Pierre had grown up and where his widowed mother still lived. "she was wearing a shapeless black gown with a traditional breton collar of pleated white muslin. On page 142, Virginie was imagining her self walking down the aisle in a white silk dress floating down the steps. In the morning Mademoiselle Avengo wore a yellow silk gown but Madame Gautreau leaned over and said the dress was too "décolleté" for the morning. On page 147, Virginie was getting ready to go to her party. She wore her camisole, corset, chemise, stockings, and petticoats. Later on Virginie changed into a traveling outfit.
In the story I Am Madame X it is similar to all that was said before. On page 138, Virginie was brought to where Pierre had grown up and where his widowed mother still lived. "she was wearing a shapeless black gown with a traditional breton collar of pleated white muslin. On page 142, Virginie was imagining her self walking down the aisle in a white silk dress floating down the steps. In the morning Mademoiselle Avengo wore a yellow silk gown but Madame Gautreau leaned over and said the dress was too "décolleté" for the morning. On page 147, Virginie was getting ready to go to her party. She wore her camisole, corset, chemise, stockings, and petticoats. Later on Virginie changed into a traveling outfit.
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| https://www.visit-gettysburg.com/civil-war-womens-clothing.html |
Aurelie
Aurelie is a kindhearted and bold person as she quickly becomes Virginie's best friend and consoles her during Virginie's stage of home sickness. Although Aurelie is outspoken, she has never worn the nightcap that was given for punishment like it was given to Virginie.
The scandal thats revealed in the letter sent from Virginie's mom to the convent is that Aurelie is a negro. Aurelie is actually mulatto, which means she came from a half white, half black family. Aurelie was sent back home to her family due to the letter. This reveals that society is uncomfortable with the thought of a black person attending a school, which is understandable considering the time period of the story.
Book Review
I Am Madame X is a compelling story regarding the story of Virginie Avegno Gautreau, the model of the infamous painting made by John Singer Sargent in 1884. The author, Gioia Diliberto, set out to write a biographical account of Virginie's life despite the lack of information that was available (other than a memoir written by the actual Virginie). Diliberto portrayed Virginie as a strong, young woman who was a victim of societal expectations and surrounded her life in scandals and passion due to her loneliness. Often going back and forth from France and America, Virginie would be a completely different person had she stayed at her grandmother's plantation in Louisiana.
Diliberto also accurately portrayed the shift into Impressionism - which occurred in the late 1800s - through her fictional characters, such as Julie. These avant-garde ideas were frowned upon in the Salon due to their desire to see generic paintings that were previously popular years before. Although John Singer Sargent was not present until near the end of the novel, Diliberto fleshed him out as a charming and shy painter who persisted to paint Virginie for a year before she accepted. When he presented his art to the Salon, the public was horrified and called his painting scandalous. However, Virginie's portrait is considered a treasured icon in American art today.
Overall, I Am Madame X is an interesting book that includes plot twists and events that would garner sympathy for Virginie. I would recommend Madame X to anyone interested in learning about France and the art world during this 19th century and why this mysterious painting became such a sensation.
Diliberto also accurately portrayed the shift into Impressionism - which occurred in the late 1800s - through her fictional characters, such as Julie. These avant-garde ideas were frowned upon in the Salon due to their desire to see generic paintings that were previously popular years before. Although John Singer Sargent was not present until near the end of the novel, Diliberto fleshed him out as a charming and shy painter who persisted to paint Virginie for a year before she accepted. When he presented his art to the Salon, the public was horrified and called his painting scandalous. However, Virginie's portrait is considered a treasured icon in American art today.
Overall, I Am Madame X is an interesting book that includes plot twists and events that would garner sympathy for Virginie. I would recommend Madame X to anyone interested in learning about France and the art world during this 19th century and why this mysterious painting became such a sensation.
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| For more reviews - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113128.I_Am_Madame_X |
Getting to Know the Characters: Mama
~ Mama ~
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| Virginie Avegno, main character's mother |
- Mama: main character's mother, the only remaining member of Virginie's immediate family
- Desperate: After moving back to Paris, it was very obvious that all Virginie's mother cared about what elevating her position in society. She dreamed of hanging out with and hosting parties with rich and famous. In fact, one of her biggest dreams was to marry Virginie off to a French aristocrat. She was willing to do anything to get herself at that place, even stooping so low that she'd use her own daughter as a means of getting to where she wanted. One example of this was when Mama hired a piano teacher for Virginie named Monsieur Vaury. Although he was much older than Virginie, he stared adoringly at the younger and often covered her hands in kisses and stroked her back inappropriately. When Virginie told her mother this, Mama, of course, didn't believe her. However, it was more of the reason that she couldn't get rid of him, because he was also the teacher that taught the nephew of Princess Mathilde. She saw him as a connection to the higher society, although it was an extremely weak connection, so she didn't easily agree to let him go.
- Exploitative: Mama is incredibly manipulative and exploitative of her daughter, Virginie, throughout the book. There are many instances where she uses her own daughter and her stunning beauty to elevate her social status. Other than the example above, she also exploits Virginie's beauty, as it often leads to them both being invited to many parties hosted by the upper class. She saw an opportunity in her daughter and she completely took advantage of it for her own benefit. Because of that, she often hosted parties as well as taking Virginie along with her to events and parties.
- Racist: Throughout the story, there are little instances as well as one big occurrence that proved Mama was racist. One of the biggest examples of her being racist is when she found out that Virginie's best friend from the Convent was an African American passing off as white. She acted immediately when she found out, as she proceeded to write the Convent a letter about the situation, informing her about how they should know that there is a black girl in their white school. Even after she got her best friend kicked out of the school, Mama started to worry about Virginie's skin color and how it has gotten darker, believing that Aurelie's skin color had come off on her daughter, as if it was "contagious." Mama even went as far as taking Virginie to a skin doctor to treat her skin.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Gender Roles in 19th Century France
During the 19th century, traditional gender roles were still very much in place in society. In the beginning of the novel, Diliberto wrote, "Julie...had no desire to marry, the chief point of a Creole woman's existence (9)." In this society, women's main focus in life was to get married and raise a family. There were two separate spheres in society. The men were in the public sphere while women were in the domestic sphere of raising a family and caring for the home. A woman's reputation meant a lot in this society and she was expected to remain "virtuous" and "pure" before marriage. Not doing so would give the woman a bad reputation whereas men were allowed to get away with it and his reputation would not be ruined. However, in the society in which Madame X takes place, we can see a shift in the traditional gender roles throughout the novel.
In Madame X, girls were allowed to get an education in school. Virginie was enrolled in school from a young age and was able to receive an education. Job opportunities allowed women to gain more influence in society outside of the home. In the novel, women worked as teachers, painters, and reporters. Fictional women artists such as Julie, Sophie, and Filomena gained recognition for their paintings. Etincelle was a very famous female reporter in Paris during this time period who had a lot of influence in society. She wrote an article in the newspaper Le Figaro, about Virginie which led to Virginie's sudden fame (Diliberto 83). Diliberto wrote, "Etincelle annointed me the Parisian beauty, and suddenly everyone wanted to meet me (Diliberto 84)." This shows that in 19th century Paris, the separate spheres of men and women in society are beginning to merge.
In Madame X, girls were allowed to get an education in school. Virginie was enrolled in school from a young age and was able to receive an education. Job opportunities allowed women to gain more influence in society outside of the home. In the novel, women worked as teachers, painters, and reporters. Fictional women artists such as Julie, Sophie, and Filomena gained recognition for their paintings. Etincelle was a very famous female reporter in Paris during this time period who had a lot of influence in society. She wrote an article in the newspaper Le Figaro, about Virginie which led to Virginie's sudden fame (Diliberto 83). Diliberto wrote, "Etincelle annointed me the Parisian beauty, and suddenly everyone wanted to meet me (Diliberto 84)." This shows that in 19th century Paris, the separate spheres of men and women in society are beginning to merge.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Getting to Know the Characters: Virginie
Virginie
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| Virginie, portrayed by John Singer Sargent compared to a real life picture |
- Virginie Avegno Gautreau: main character of I am Madame X,
- About the Character (important events):
- Lived with her immediate family, aunt, and grandmother at Parlange, which was her grandmother's plantation in Louisiana
- Lost her father, younger sister, and grandmother at a young age
- After the death of her father, her mother takes Virginie and her sister to France
- Stays in a Convent for a while before returning to Louisiana, only to come back and find that it was destroyed
- Has a primarily bad relationship with her mother
- The only person she truly loves and sees a friend in is her aunt, her mother's sister, Julie
- After going to France, she gets noticed for her beauty and becomes famous because of it
- Has a mostly sexual relationship with prominent doctor, Dr. Pozzi, who is older than her. Despite her mother's warnings about the young doctor, Virginie falls in love with him. Near the end of their relationship, she finds out of his relationship with a prostitute and finds out that she is pregnant from him. This marks the end of their relationship, as he insists that he didn't promise her anything and that he's at the peak of his career, so he cannot marry her. After this, she doesn't see him in a long time until she runs into him again at an exhibition, displaying John Singer Sargent's painting, in which Dr. Pozzi is the subject.
- Because Virginie is no longer considered "pure", se cannot marry. As a solution, Pierre, her mother's friend, offers to participate in a marriage blanc, in which they are legally married but do not engage in any marital activities. They marry and she moves into his mother's house, where she stays with him and his real lover.
- During the early years of her marriage, she has an affair with Leon Gambetta, a Republican leader. Although she liked him and learned a grear deal from him, Virginie admitted that she was not in love with him, as she had been with Dr. Pozzi.
- Her relationship with him ended when she left him in a village. Furious, Gambetta later wrote to her, ending their relationship. Virginie claimed that she would've gotten him back if she tried, but she was growing tired of his ill health, endless talking, shabby apartment, and indifferent sexual abilities
- After Madame Jeuland, Pierre's lover, moved to London, Virginie and Pierre began their relationship, which was, again, mostly sexual and lasted for a short time. It was over as soon as it began. During this time, Virginie became pregnant with their daughter, Louise.
- Characteristics:
- Vain: Throughout the book, there are many instances where the reader can tell that Virginie became very vain and self-centered. As more and more people made remarks about her stunning beauty, she began to feel entitled to such compliments and soon began to think that way too. Just like her mother, she loved the attention that she got from everyone. Even though her mother used her beauty for her own benefit, Virginie didn't mind the attention or feel the need to stop her mother. It eventually got to her head and she became incredibly egotistical, so much so that I noticed every time she met someone new at her mother's parties, she would always comment on their appearance first, being very judgmental and harsh.
- Self-involved: Something else that is very apparent throughout the book is Virginie's lack of awareness for people other than herself. In other words, she very self-involved and clueless. An example of this is the time that there was an actual war going on, but all Virginie was worried was her canceled date with Dr. Pozzi. Even days and weeks after the date that was supposed to happen didn't, she only thought about that and sat at home all day, mourning. Instead if worrying about the war, she was only concerned about whether or not Dr. Pozzi had forgotten about her or not.
- Gullible: When Virginie was still a teenager, and at the peak of her fame, she met Dr. Samuel-Jean Pozzi. Although her mother warned her about how he was a notorious player who preys on "girls younger than you [Virginie] and woman older than me [Mama]", Virginie doesn't listen to this warning and pursues him anyway. Dr. Pozzi is nice to her, treats her well, and takes her out for dinner. Because of all of this, Virginie finds herself falling in love with him. She doesn't realize, however, that he's always manipulated her, as she was much younger than him and a teenager when they first met, to get what he ultimately wanted, which was to sleep with her. She's a weak judge of character, because she's always noticed little things about him that made him look not as genuine as she thinks, such as when he looked more than delighted seeing her naked when she was filling in for a nude model or when he initiated sex right after she was so hurt by Georges' death, yet she still thinks he's going to stay with her and that he's a good person.
- Madame Gautreau in art:
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| Virginie, as portrayed by John Singer Sargent |
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| Madame Pierre Gautreau (1897), Antonio de La Gandara |
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| Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast (1882-1883), John Singer Sargent |
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| Madame Gautreau (1891), Gustave Courtois |
The Man Behind the Painting that Ruined His Career: John Singer Sargent
"Madame X", John Singer Sargent
Self portrait of John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent, an American artist, was considered to be the "leading portrait painter of his generation", especially for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his lifetime, he created more than 900 oil paintings as well as more than 200 water colors in addition to countless sketches and charcoal drawings he also completed. His most infamous, and probably the most controversial one, painting was Madame X, which he painted from 1883 to 1884. Now, the painting is regarded as one of his best works, and was also the artist's favorite. When it was submitted to the Salon in 1884, its original intention was to solidify his position as a society painter. However, instead of establishing a good reputation for him, it created a scandal. Critics at the Salon lashed out at the painting and attacked it for being a "scandalous, immoral image". With its daring plunging neckline, which was criticized for being too provocative, porcelain white skin, her head arrogantly cocked to the side, and her off-shoulder dress, the painting was deemed too "scandalous" and "sensual". Even though Sargent didn't include her name in the title, the public recognized the subject of this infamous painting right away as Virginie Gautreau, the notorious Parisian beauty, whom Sargent had a great desire to paint, as he wanted to "pay homage to her beauty". In the book, I Am Madame X, the main character, Virginie, is "Madame X" in the painting. She is also known for her stunning beauty as well as being involved in scandals.
Americans in France
Virginie had to leave Louisiana because of the American Civil War. Virginie, her mother, and her sister went to France. There was an abundant group of Americans in France. They host parties and try to keep their typical lifestyles from America in France. However, the French people did not like Americans. A prime example is when Virginie changed the notes of a musical composition and her piano teacher was angry. He refused to teach her anymore. He considered her and Mama as silly women but also Americans. He considered that "a hopeless combination". Further in the novel, the reporters claimed that Virginie was sleeping with someone that the French did not like. They made up stories and claims because they hated Americans. Americans had wealth and characteristics that the French did not see as tasteful. People in society saw Virginie as dressing provocatively, wearing makeup, and dying her hair. Lastly, a columnist claimed Sargent and Virginie as dangerous threats. He wrote, "They have painters who seize our medals, such as Monsieur Sargent, and pretty women who eclipse ours, like Madame Gautreau." Americans were not welcomed, especially in this time period of war.
Painters Mentioned Until Chapter 7
The painters that are mentioned in the story are fictional. Julie was one of the first to be mentioned, as Valentine's death was a catalyst for her painting career. Julie painted a portrait of Valentine in a white dress with a blue ribbon on her neck with the sun shining and pink roses being present in the painting. In the years Virginie and her mother left Louisiana, Julie became a professional artist because a sugar broker admired the portrait of Valentine and asked her to paint his family. Julie got more commissions as a result and was able to come to France.
Julie also introduced Virginie to Sophie Tranchevent and Filomena Seguette, two women painters she met at the Louvre. Both painters were held in high regard and regularly exhibited their work at the Fine Arts Salon, a bazaar of new art that was held at an exhibition hall that made or broke artists. Filomena was more fleshed out as the author provided a vivid description on how she looked like a man due to being the most famous woman painter in Paris. It was also mentioned how Filomena specialized in enormous canvases that depicted the dramatic history of France.
In chapter seven, Filomena and Julie got into an argument due to Impressionism becoming more popular during this time period. The public was hostile to this type of art and Filomena and Sophie felt the same about Julie's painting of a woman strolling through a garden, calling the colors too shrill and the technique sloppy. However, Julie refused to paint another angel or king again. Filomena felt as though Julie was rejecting her and her methods when it came to painting and Virginie noted that she looked crushed that Julie was changing.
Julie also introduced Virginie to Sophie Tranchevent and Filomena Seguette, two women painters she met at the Louvre. Both painters were held in high regard and regularly exhibited their work at the Fine Arts Salon, a bazaar of new art that was held at an exhibition hall that made or broke artists. Filomena was more fleshed out as the author provided a vivid description on how she looked like a man due to being the most famous woman painter in Paris. It was also mentioned how Filomena specialized in enormous canvases that depicted the dramatic history of France.
In chapter seven, Filomena and Julie got into an argument due to Impressionism becoming more popular during this time period. The public was hostile to this type of art and Filomena and Sophie felt the same about Julie's painting of a woman strolling through a garden, calling the colors too shrill and the technique sloppy. However, Julie refused to paint another angel or king again. Filomena felt as though Julie was rejecting her and her methods when it came to painting and Virginie noted that she looked crushed that Julie was changing.
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| According to another blog post, Filomena Seguette was loosely based on Rosa Bonheur, a French artist: http://bauerbower.blogspot.com/2013/01/portrait-of-madame-x.html |
Why French is Prominent in Louisiana
French is a big part of culture in Louisiana because there were many ports that allowed French to settle in the country. The French culture was spread and diversified as a result. France and Britain occupied America, France specifically settled in Louisiana. People started speaking creole, which is a dialect that derives from French. Their language is an impact left on many people, demonstrating that France had a cultural influence. As history shows, America eventually became an independent and rising country. Their imperialistic attitude contributed to the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana purchase was a land deal between The United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi river for $15 million. Although the United States was able to acquire back that land, France had already left a cultural impact. From the way people spoke, to the way people dressed, France was everywhere.
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| The Louisiana Purchase, which occurred in 1803 |
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Relationships
Virginie, the main character of Madame X, has different relationships with the people around her, but the two that are important are the ones with her mother and Dr. Pozzi. The relationship with her mother is strained due to her mother's dream of having high status in society. Virginie is disrespectful to her mother, occasionally slapping her on the face and often yelling or locking herself in a room to avoid her mother's punishment. However, Virginie's mother does not care about Virginie's feelings on certain topics and does things that affect her negatively, such as reporting Aurelie to the convent and taking away Virginie's only and best friend. Virginie's mother also took her away from Louisiana where her family lived because she found her family fortune and forced her to move back to France even though Virginie didn't want to. She also paid a doctor to put an arsenic based cream to make Virginie's skin whiter and made Virginie violently ill as a result. Virginie's mother used her as a means to rise up the social ladder and marry Virginie off to a French aristocrat for the sake of money and status.
Dr. Pozzi was Virginie's first lover. They met at one of the plays she was acting in and met up again at Julie's studio. He went to work at a hospital during civil war in Paris. She traveled during dangerous streets to see him at the hospital. They had sexual relations that night. She wanted someone to love her and she thought Dr. Pozzi was the one to give it to her. She was oblivious to Dr. Pozzi's actual intentions. All he wanted was to have physical connection rather than something deeper. Afterwards, she started to feel sick as if she was pregnant but ignored it. She wanted more of him and did anything to catch his attention. This occurred during a march in the street and she saw him. Virginie stopped her cab and walked in Dr. Pozzi's eyesight so he can see her. Her choices of action showed desperation. They had arrangements to meet up at his home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, his lover found her earring and confronted Virginie and Mama about it. The thing that made everything worse was that Virginie thought Dr. Pozzi would marry her since she found out finally she was pregnant with his baby. Unfortunately, he used his excuse of "busy at work" to stop the idea. This made her depressed. When she went to live with Pierre's mother for awhile, she had thoughts of suicide at the beach because Dr. Pozzi "scarred her heart". He confused her and made her worse than she was already.
Dr. Pozzi was Virginie's first lover. They met at one of the plays she was acting in and met up again at Julie's studio. He went to work at a hospital during civil war in Paris. She traveled during dangerous streets to see him at the hospital. They had sexual relations that night. She wanted someone to love her and she thought Dr. Pozzi was the one to give it to her. She was oblivious to Dr. Pozzi's actual intentions. All he wanted was to have physical connection rather than something deeper. Afterwards, she started to feel sick as if she was pregnant but ignored it. She wanted more of him and did anything to catch his attention. This occurred during a march in the street and she saw him. Virginie stopped her cab and walked in Dr. Pozzi's eyesight so he can see her. Her choices of action showed desperation. They had arrangements to meet up at his home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, his lover found her earring and confronted Virginie and Mama about it. The thing that made everything worse was that Virginie thought Dr. Pozzi would marry her since she found out finally she was pregnant with his baby. Unfortunately, he used his excuse of "busy at work" to stop the idea. This made her depressed. When she went to live with Pierre's mother for awhile, she had thoughts of suicide at the beach because Dr. Pozzi "scarred her heart". He confused her and made her worse than she was already.
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| Dr Pozzi, painted by John Singer Sargent. For more info on the painting: https://hammer.ucla.edu/blog/2014/10/dr-pozzi-comes-home/ |
Thursday, January 5, 2017
The Role of War in Madame X
War plays a big role in Madame X. The story begins with Virginie and her mother fleeing to France due to the Civil War occurring in America. Virginie has to leave her Creole speaking family behind at their plantation in Louisiana and went to school at a convent in France. Once the Civil War was over, Virginie momentarily went back to America, but still came back to France due to her mother forcing her. Virginie also went through another war due to the Prussians attacking France during Napoleon's time of ruling. France had ended up signing a treaty of peace, which angered some people and therefore created their own faction called the Commune. The Commune seized the capital for a few months and the citizens of France, including Virginie, were in danger due to lack of basic necessities like food and fear of being shot or hit with bomb shells.
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| A glimpse of how the Civil War was like in Louisiana |
For more information on the Franco-Prussian War:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Franco-German-War