Wikipedia

Alice Regnault

Alice Regnault (born Augustine-Alexandrine Toulet; February 5, 1849 – July 12, 1931) was a French actress and courtesan.

Alice Regnault
Alice Regnault photographed by Bacard Fils
Born
Augustine-Alexandrine Toulet

February 5 1849
Paris, France
Died12 July 1931(1931-07-12) (aged 82)
Paris, Third French Republic
OccupationActress
Years active1868–1883
Spouse
Jules Louise Renard
​
​
(m. 1865; died 1868)​
​
​
(m. 1887; died 1917)​
Children1

Her theatrical career began in 1871, when she was praised for her beauty and talent.[1] She became very rich as a courtesan in Paris, having relationships with many wealthy men, as the police archive, Le livre des courtisanes details.[2] She retired from the stage and from her life as a courtesan in 1883, at the age of 34. She briefly worked as a journalist, under the pseudonym of Mitaine de Soie at the newspaper Le Gaulois,[3] and published two novels which attracted little attention: Mademoiselle Pomme (1886) and La Famille Carmettes (1888).

She is known for secretly marrying the French writer Octave Mirbeau in May 1887, in London. After his death, she published the fictitious Testament politique d’Octave Mirbeau, which was in fact written by former anti-militarist and pacifist Gustave Hervé. Sacha Guitry dramatized this "betrayal" in his 1923 comedy, Un sujet de roman, inspired by Regnault and his old friend Mirbeau, whom he admired very much.

Early Life

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Augustine-Alexandrine Toulet was born to Edmond Désiré Toulet and Louise Hermanjat in the former 1st Arrondissement of Paris. Her father worked as a house painter. In 1865, at the age of 16, she married her first husband, a tool maker named Jules Louise Renard.[4] They had a son together in 1866 named Édouard, who would be her only child. When her husband died in 1868, her and her son were left in poverty, and so to support them she started her theatrical career and became a courtesan.[2] However, because of her lifestyle, she lost custody of her son, and Édouard died in 1892.[5]

Career

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Regnault's first acting and vocal teacher was Auguste Coédès, a French composer. While performing at a concert, she was discovered by the prolific operetta composer Jacques Offernbach.[1] He offered her a position at the Bouffes Parisiens and in November of 1868, when she was only 19, she debuted in his operetta Apothicaire et Perruquier[6]. She appeared in many of Offenbach's operettas throughout her career as well as operettas by other composers. She was well known for appearing in Les Trône d'Ecosse by Hervé as Julia, a horse guard. After her performance in that show she was offered a role in Les Sceptiques at the Théâtre de Cluny.[1]

 
Alice Regnault photographed by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disderi

She studied voice with the composer Charles Lecocq while she appeared in his operetta Les cent vierges in 1872.[7] From 1872 until at least 1876, she studied at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art with Regnier, a well known teacher and former actor at the Théâtre-Français.[8][1]

In 1873, while she was working at the Théâtre des Variétés, Regnault and other actresses were accused of prostitution by a journalist, Gabriel Hugelmann, after a police raid of a brothel. She denied the claims, and Alice Regnault and Marguerite Debreux sued Hugelmann for defamation after the newspaper admitted they were wrong[9].

In 1874 she began performing with the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, a prestigious theater and she became even more well known.[1] Regnault received many good reviews and that year was called one of the “Choicest celebrities of the stage”. [10] Even her more negative reviews admitted that she was very beautiful and elegant. Towards the end of her career she travelled to Brussels to act in Divorçons playing the role of Chaumont[11]. In 1880, after returning from this trip, she attempted to gain a position at the Comédie-Française, though she did not get in. She has only one recorded performance after this rejection, at the Théâtre du Vaudeville.[12]

Roles

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Bouffes Parisiens

 
Alice Reganult as Julia the horse guard in Le Trône d'Ecosse

1868 - Apothicaire et Perruquier by Jacques Offenbach[6]

1869 - La Diva by Jacques Offenbach[12]

Théâtre des Variétés

1869 - La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein by Jacques Offenbach[13][1]

1869 - Les Brigands by Jacques Offenbach[12]

1871 - Le Trône d'Ecosse, by Hervé, role of Julia[12]

1872 - Les cent vierges by Charles Lecocq [14] [15]

1872 - Le Tour du Cadran by Henry Bocage [12]

1872 - La revue n'est pas au coin du quai by Paul Siraudin [12]

Unknown year - Orphée aux Enfers by Jacques Offenbach [1]

Unknown year - La Belle-Hélène by Jacques Offenbach[1]

Théâtre de Cluny

1873 - Les Sceptiques by Félicien Mallefille, role of Mme Landurel [16]

1873 - La Maison du mari by Xavier de Montépin and Victor Kervani[17]

Théâtre du Palais-Royal

1874 - Le Homard by Edmond Gondinet [12]

1874 - Les Samedis de madame by Eugène Labiche [12]

1874 - La Boule by Henri Meilhac [12]

1874 -Tricoche et Cacolet by Ludovic Halevy and Henri Meilhac [1]

1875 - Le Plus Heureux des trois by Eugène Labiche [12]

1876 - l'Avant-Scène, by Ernest Blum[1]

Unknown year - la Mi-Ca-rême by Ludovic Halevy and Henri Meilhac[1]

Théâtre de la Gaîté

1877 - Le Voyage dans la lune by Jacques Offenbach[12]

Théâtre du Gymnase

1877 - Les Mariages d'Autrefois by Adolphe d'Ennery, role of Angèle[18]

1878 - La Femme de chambre by Paul Ferrier, role of la femme de chambre[19]

1878 - Petite Correspondance by Najac and Hennequin[20]

1878 - Paris sans cocher by Paul Ferrier[21]

1878 - L'Âge ingrat by Edouard Pailleron[22]

1880 - Andréa by Victorien Sardou [12]

Théâtre du Vaudeville

1883 - Les Affolés by Pierre Véron [12]

Life as a Courtesan

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Alice Regnault in Giovanni Boldini's L'Amazzone

In addition to being an actress, Regnault was a wealthy courtesan and was included in the police records kept of courtesans at the time. She had relationships with many powerful men in the French government, who would give her large sums of money, jewels and occasionally houses. She was also noted in these records as having relationships with women.[2] By 1881 she owned several properties and had amassed a fortune of over 4 million francs.[5] She was in the same circles as many of the most famous actresses and courtesans of the day, including Cora Pearl, Sarah Bernhardt, and Blanche d'Antigny.[2]

Artist's Model

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Regnault also was an artist's model, and was the subject of three paintings in the Paris Salon. The first, done in 1878 but exhibited in 1880, was by Giovanni Boldini. He asked Regnault to pose as a woman on horseback for his painting L'Amazone.[23] She appeared in another painting in the 1880 Salon, L’Amazone by Louise Abbéma, which shows her on stairs outside of Sarah Bernhardt's home in a riding habit.[24] Her third portrait in the salon was in 1888, by Gustave Courtois.[25] She also posed for numerous photographs for Bacard Fils, André-Adolphe-Eugène Disderi and Nadar.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Paris-théâtre / rédacteur en chef E. Paz ; administrateur A. Godement". Gallica. 1876-11-02. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  2. ^ a b c d Houbre, Gabrielle (2006). Le livre des courtisanes: archives secrètes de la police des moeurs, 1861-1876 (in French). Tallandier. ISBN 978-2-84734-344-1.
  3. ^ Dictionnaire national des contemporains : contenant les notices des membres de l'Institut de France, du gouvernement et du parlement français, de l'Académie de médecine.... T. 5 / sous la dir. de C.-E. Curinier. 1899–1919.
  4. ^ "Alice Regnault (1849-1931)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  5. ^ a b "REGNAULT, alice | Personnes". mirbeau.asso.fr. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  6. ^ a b "Figaro : journal non politique". Gallica. 1868-11-22. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  7. ^ "Figaro : journal non politique". Gallica. 1872-05-16. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  8. ^ "Figaro : journal non politique". Gallica. 1872-08-01. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  9. ^ "Le Tintamarre : journal de littérature, de musique, de mode et d'industrie, paraissant le dimanche / directeur : Commerson". Gallica. 1873-02-02. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  10. ^ Temple Bar: A London Magazine for Town and Country Readers. Ward and Lock. 1874. p. 273.
  11. ^ "Tristan Jordan, La Comédie-Française A-T-Elle Accueilli Alice Regnault ? | PDF". Scribd. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Alice Regnault". Les Archives du Spectacle (in French). 2025-02-09. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  13. ^ "Le Gaulois : littéraire et politique". Gallica. 1869-06-12. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  14. ^ "Figaro : journal non politique". Gallica. 1872-05-16. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  15. ^ "Courrier des hôtels et Guide du commerce réunis : moniteur de l'exportation". Gallica. 1872-05-15. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  16. ^ "Paris à l'eau-forte : actualité, curiosité, fantaisie / rédacteur en chef, Richard Lesclide ; directeur des eaux-fortes, Frédéric Régamey". Gallica. 1873-03-01. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  17. ^ "Figaro : journal non politique". Gallica. 1873-10-28. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  18. ^ "Figaro : journal non politique". Gallica. 1877-11-24. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  19. ^ "Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir". Gallica. 1878-02-11. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  20. ^ "Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir". Gallica. 1878-07-04. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  21. ^ "Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir". Gallica. 1878-08-21. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  22. ^ "Le Petit Parisien : journal quotidien du soir". Gallica. 1878-12-14. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  23. ^ "RetroNews.fr - Le site de presse de la BnF". www.retronews.fr. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  24. ^ Balducci, Temma (2017-07-05). "Women, Femininity and Public Space in European Visual Culture, 1789?914 ". Routledge. pp. 214–216. ISBN 978-1-351-53659-2.
  25. ^ Maupassant, Guy de (1909). Works of Guy de Maupassant. National Library Company. p. 232.

Bibliography

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  • Pierre Michel, Alice Regnault, épouse Mirbeau, À l'écart, 1994.
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