Clovis Hugues (and Mme Clovis Hugues)

Overview

Clovis Hugues was a Provençal poet and journalist, a félibre, and socialist deputy for Marseille from 1881 (re-elected 1885) (Wikipedia, "Clovis Hugues"). His wife, Jeanne Royannez (b. 1855), was a sculptor; they married in 1877 (Wikipedia, "Jeanne Royannez"). In 1883-84 a private detective named Morin spread slanders about her past; in November 1884 she shot and killed him, and her trial was a sensation (Mary Evans Picture Library, captions after L'Illustration, 1884; Auckland Star, 7 February 1885, via Papers Past). Marie does not live to see the shooting; she knows only the slander.

Relevance to Marie

Marie meets the couple in the republican and artistic circle around the deputy Gaillard in 1883:

• 21 March 1883 (098.0545-0549): at a dinner with deputies; Clovis Hugues does imitations of the orators of the Chamber; "Mme Clovis Hugues a chanté aussi et faux. Une femme énorme, beaucoup plus grande que son gringalet de mari".
• 1 and 9 May 1883 (099.0300-0301, 099.0382-0394): met at the Salon (she thinks of painting his portrait); a "dîner républicano-artistico-poétique" at the Bashkirtseffs' where he recites verse and imitates Gambetta.
• 16 May 1884 (104.0189-0191): met at the Salon; "Lui a l'air très malheureux. C'est cette affreuse affaire d'il y a quelques mois" (the slander against his wife).
• 17 May 1884 (104.0212-0216): their party for Frédéric Mistral, full of félibres; Marie dances a polka with Clovis Hugues.
• A cousin of Mme Clovis Hugues speaks to Marie on 22 June 1883 (100.0192).

Sources

• The diary, carnets 098-100 and 104 (French originals in `/content/_original/`)
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_Hugues ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Royannez
• Papers Past (Auckland Star, 1885): https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18850207.2.54
• Mary Evans Picture Library, "Hugues Morin murder": https://www.maryevans.com/history/hugues-morin-murder-10189508