DROUET (Juliette Gauvain, known as). - Lot 88

DROUET (Juliette Gauvain, known as). Born in Fougères. 1806-1883. An actress, she was Victor Hugo's companion for over 50 years. Autograph. August-September 1838. 2 folio pages. Ink slightly palie. Account sheet bearing on the recto, the ...Recette générale du mois août 1838..., and on the verso, the ...Dépenses générales du mois d'août 1838... with dates and amounts.Si dans les recettes on trouve plusieurs lignes faisant référence à Victor Hugo comme le 2, .Money from my beloved's purse...; on 5, 9, 11, 13 and 14: ...Money from my darling's purse... or again, on 15 ...Money earned by my dear little Toto..., and on 16 ...Money from Toto's house...in the expenses section, there are expenses for ...Food [...] Lighting [...] Housekeeping and letter postage [...] Toiletries, maintenance and perfumery [...], Incidental pocket money [...], Joint expenses... and in the last line: .Rendu à Toto pour le voyage 567 fr...Juliette Drouet met Victor Hugo at a reading of Lucrèce Borgia in early 1833, and contributed to the play's success by playing the role of Princesse Négroni. The date of their first night of love - February 16 - would become that of Marius and Cosette in Les Misérables. She soon gave up her theatrical career, and lived only thanks to the generosity of her mentor. Victor Hugo was Juliette Drouet's great love for fifty years. For the poet, she was not only a devoted life companion, but also an invaluable aid in his work of copying his manuscripts. As the days went by, she left a precious testimony, about Victor Hugo and herself, notably through her daily correspondence (she was a remarkable letter-writer) but also through these account books that give us details of her life, such as her hygiene practices, her medical care, her diet, and so on.