My brother sent me the most fascinating article last week about an apartment discovered in Paris that had not been touched in 70 years! I studied the pictures taking in every detail, and I knew I had to share it with you!
You can find a few articles online about this amazing real estate find, but after a little research, I found there was quite a bit of incorrect information floating around. Therefore, I got to googling, used lots of Google Translate to help me decipher the articles in French, spent a ridiculous amount of time on French genealogy sites, and have for you all of the information there is to know.
I believe this article to be the most comprehensive available in English, so enjoy! In fact, the great find of the apartment after it was opened was a beautiful original painting by the legendary artist, Giovanni Boldini. The muse? Marthe de Florian herself. So who was she? Well, many will tell you she was an actress, and she may have been, but the reason she had great wealth was because she was in a group referred to as demimondaines.
Known for drinking, gambling, and excessive spending, they always had the highest of fashion and a long list of well-known and wealthy lovers. Side Note: Have you ever seen the movie Gigi? I believe Gigi was being trained by her aunt in the movie to be a demimondaine, like she was. In the end, Gaston, of course, decides he would much rather have her as his wife than a mistress.
So he marries her, and they live happily ever after. No wonder I never really understood this movie as a child, geez. Marthe de Florian was born on September 9, in Paris. Actually, her real name is Mathilde Heloise Beaugiron. She never married, and I cannot find a death record from anywhere, but she did have a son; rather, she had two.
