DROUET (Juliette Gauvain, known as). - Lot 98

DROUET (Juliette Gauvain, known as). Born in Fougères. 1806–1883. An actress, she was Victor Hugo’s partner for more than 50 years. Autograph document. August–September 1838. 2 folio-sized pages. Ink slightly faded. Account sheet showing on the front, the ...General Income for the month of August 1838..., and on the back the ...General Expenses for the month of August 1838... with dates and amounts. Among the income entries, there are several lines referring to Victor Hugo, such as on the 2nd, ...Money from my beloved’s allowance... ; on the 5th, 9th, 11th, 13th, and 14th: "...Money from my darling’s allowance..."; or, on the 15th, "...Money earned by my dear little Toto..."; and on the 16th, "...Money from Toto’s household..., on the expenses side, we find costs for ...Food [...] lighting [...] household maintenance and postage [...] Toiletries, grooming, and perfumes [...], incidental expenses and pocket money [...], shared expenses... and on the last line: ...Reimbursed to Toto for the trip: 567 francs...It was while performing in *Lucrezia Borgia* in early 1833 that Juliette Drouet met Victor Hugo: she contributed to the play’s success by playing the role of Princess Négroni. The date of their first night of love—February 16—would become that of Marius and Cosette in *Les Misérables*. She quickly abandoned her theatrical career and lived solely on the generosity of her mentor. Victor Hugo was Juliette Drouet’s great love for fifty years. To the poet, she was not only a devoted life partner but also an invaluable assistant in his work of transcribing his manuscripts. Over the years, she left behind a valuable record of Victor Hugo and herself, notably through her daily correspondence (she was a remarkable letter-writer) but also through these accounting ledgers that provide details of her life, such as her hygiene practices, her medical care, her diet, etc.