Marie Duplessis
French courtesan who inspired Dumas's Lady of the Camellias.
Alphonsine Rose Plessis, known to history as Marie Duplessis, was born on 15 January 1824 in Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, to Marin Plessis and Marie Plessis (born Deshayes). At fifteen, she moved to Paris and took a job in a dress shop. By sixteen, she had realized that wealthy men would pay for her company, both privately and in public. She became a courtesan, taught herself to read and write, and kept up with current events so she could hold her own in conversation. She also added the aristocratic "Du" to her surname.
Duplessis ran a popular salon where politicians, writers, and artists gathered for lively discussion. She rode in the Bois de Boulogne, attended the opera, and sat for a portrait by Édouard Viénot. From September 1844 to August 1845, she was the lover of Alexandre Dumas fils. After that, she is thought to have been with composer Franz Liszt, who reportedly wanted to live with her. She was known as a discreet, intelligent, and witty companion, and many of her former patrons remained friendly with her.
In the summer of 1844, she met her last major patron, the 78-year-old Count Gustav von Stackelberg, at the spa resort of Bagnères-de-Luchon. He was extremely wealthy and received a pension from the Tsar. She agreed to a relationship, and he provided her with a lavish six-room apartment on the Boulevard de la Madeleine in Paris. She also had a brief marriage to Count Édouard de Perregaux, a French nobleman and army officer.
Duplessis died of tuberculosis on 3 February 1847, at age 23. Her husband, the Comte de Perregaux, and her former lover Count Stackelberg were with her. Within weeks, her belongings were auctioned to settle her debts. Hundreds attended her funeral at Montmartre Cemetery, where her tomb can still be visited.
Dumas’s 1848 novel *La Dame aux Camélias* was based on her, with Dumas as Armand Duval and Duplessis as Marguerite Gautier. He later turned the story into an 1852 play, which inspired Verdi’s 1853 opera *La traviata* and several films. Duplessis also appears in Sacha Guitry’s play *Debarau*. Her childhood friend, journalist Romain Vienne, wrote *La Vérité sur la dame aux camélias* to correct some of the myths that had grown around her.
- born
- 15 January 1824
- died
- 3 February 1847
- field
- Courtesan, salon hostess
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Inspiration for Marguerite Gautier in La Dame aux Camélias
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Marie Duplessis was born Alphonsine Rose Plessis in 1824 to Marin Plessis and Marie Plessis (née Deshayes) at Nonant-le-Pin, Normandy, France. At the age of 15, she moved to Paris, where she found work in a dress shop. By the time she was 16, she had become aware that prominent men were willing to give her money in exchange for her company in both private and social settings. She became a courtesan and learned to read and write, and to stay abreast of world events so as to be able to converse on these topics with her clients and at social functions. She also added the faux noble 'Du' to her name. Duplessis was both a popular courtesan and the hostess of a salon, where politicians, writers, and artists gathered for stimulating conversation and socializing. She rode in the Bois de Boulogne and attended opera performances. She also had her portrait painted by Édouard Viénot. Duplessis was the mistress of Alexandre Dumas fils from September 1844 to August 1845. Afterward, she is believed to have become the mistress of composer Franz Liszt, who reportedly wished to live with her. In the summer of 1844, Plessis found her last great patron, the 78-year-old Count Gustav von Stackelberg (1766-1850). He was personally extremely wealthy and received a pension from the Tsar. Plessis and Stackelberg are said to have met at the spa resort of Bagnères-de-Luchon. She agreed to a liaison and he furnished her a magnificent six-room apartment on Boulevard de la Madeleine in Paris. She was briefly married to at least one of her lovers: Count Édouard de Perregaux (1815-1889), a French nobleman and army officer.
Reader's Guide
Marie Duplessis's significance lies primarily in her role as the real-life model for one of the most enduring romantic heroines in Western literature and opera. Alexandre Dumas fils's 1848 novel La Dame aux Camélias, written within a year of her death, transformed her into Marguerite Gautier, a tragic courtesan. Dumas adapted the story as a play in 1852, which in turn inspired Giuseppe Verdi's 1853 opera La traviata and various films. Much of what is known about Duplessis herself has been filtered through these fictionalized portrayals and contemporary legends, making it difficult to separate fact from literary embellishment. Her life as a courtesan and salon hostess, her brief marriage, and her death from tuberculosis at age 23 have all contributed to her romanticized legacy. The journalist Romain Vienne, a childhood friend, wrote La Vérité sur la dame aux camélias to correct some of the fictions that had grown up around her.
Did You Know?
- Marie Duplessis was born Alphonsine Rose Plessis and added the faux noble 'Du' to her name.
- She learned to read and write and stayed abreast of world events to converse with clients.
- Her last great patron was the 78-year-old Count Gustav von Stackelberg, who furnished her a six-room apartment on Boulevard de la Madeleine.
- She was briefly married to Count Édouard de Perregaux, a French nobleman and army officer.
- Her funeral in Montmartre Cemetery was attended by hundreds of people.
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