M. Rémy de Gonzalès Moreno (père)

Who he is

An Argentine gentleman whom Marie's family met at Baden-Baden about 1870 and who reappears in Paris and Nice until 1878: the father of her childhood admirer Rémy de Gonzalès. The Mon Journal indexes call him «Gonzalès Moreno (M. de), Argentin» (t.1) and, in later volumes, «Gonzalès Moreno (Rémy de), Argentin», distinct from «Gonzalès Moreno (Rémy de), fils» (t.3, t.5, t.6, t.8, t.10; «Gonzalès-Moreno (M. de)», t.11). Father and son thus share the first name: Marie writes «le vieux Rémy» for the father (028.0205) and «mes deux Rémy» (041.0020). She calls him «de Gonzalès», «le père Gonzalès» or, by the second surname, «Moreno»: «Voici le père Moreno et avec lui Rémy» (024.0050); «les Gonzalès, ou Moreno comme on veut» (063.0113).

He is a flatterer with a strong Spanish accent («Maria, mon en fanne… zé souis fautif», 029.0298-0304), who once paid court to Marie's mother and whose wife never forgave it (000.0026-0027; 029.0294). Marie mocks him («Cet homme pour avoir simplement fait une simple cour à maman, se donne… des airs de Don Juan», 020.0171) and enjoys his praise.

In the diary

• c. 1870, Baden-Baden (000.0026-0027; 019.0091-0093; 036.0164): «Le père Gonzalès devint amoureux de maman»; he walks with Marie by the gaming tables and introduces her to Berthe.
• Paris, May-June 1874 (019.0213; 020.0145-0361): the family calls on him; at the Grand Prix he introduces his friend «un homme des tropiques, M. Muliner» (020.0261-0265); he says Rémy will come to Nice in March.
• Paris, September 1874 (024.0017-0021, 0050, 0124, 0134, 0162): Marie writes to «Monsieur de Gonzalès» for advice on buying a horse; he recommends the horse-dealer Hulot.
• Nice, winter 1874-75 (025.0190; 026.0030-0031; 027.0080; 028.0205; 029.0292-0334): Marie's «explanation» with him on 14 February 1875 about his wife's coldness.
• Paris, September 1875 (041.0002-0090): he and his son call at the Grand Hôtel; «De Gonzalès père et fils».
• Nice, December 1875 (050.0621-0720, 050.0986, 050.1097, 050.1195-1199; 051.0002-0003): seen with Audiffret, who is said to court his daughter.
• 1876-1878 (060.0049; 063.0113, 0129; 072.0354; 073.0045-0077; 080.0428): Paris; «le vieux Moreno» at a ball, June 1878.

Family

His wife (Mme de Gonzalès Moreno), his daughter Mathilde («Matildita») and his son Rémy; the family as a group: Gonzales family.

Sources

Marie Bashkirtseff, Journal (paragraphs cited); Mon Journal indexes t.1, t.3-t.6, t.8, t.10, t.11. No outside source on the family was found.