Louise Mackay (Mrs John W. Mackay, the "richissime")

Overview

Wife of the Comstock silver millionaire John William Mackay (married 1867); in Paris in 1883–84 she was the American "richissime" who ordered her portrait from Ernest Meissonier. In the diary she is Marie's "Mme Mackay (la richissime)" and is not the Mme Mackay who is Jules Bastien-Lepage's friend: Marie says so herself, «Mme Mackay (pas la richissime) la Mackay Bastien» (098/1883-01-21, 098.0101). For that woman see #Mme_Mackay. Her identification as Marie Louise Hungerford Mackay, wife of John W. Mackay, rests on the 1884 press accounts of the Meissonier affair (Gurney Journey, «The Meissonier-Mackay affair», citing Alta California, 1884; Wikipedia, «John William Mackay»); the diary itself says only «Mme Mackay (la richissime)» and «étrangère».

The Meissonier portrait quarrel (22 February 1884)

Marie's account, prompted by Gavini's chatter at lunch about «l'incident Meissonnier-Mackay» (103.0356): Mme Mackay orders her portrait; Meissonier asks «soixante dix mille francs, juste le double» of what he took for the baron de Guntsbourg's, the portrait is shown at the Triennal and found mediocre (103.0357); she asks for retouching, he refuses, she threatens to leave it «pour compte», then pays on friends' advice and «le place dans son cabinet, W.C.» (103.0358); «Mme Mackay détruit le portrait. Fin.» (103.0360). Marie's verdict: Mme Mackay «a manqué de délicatesse», but Meissonnier «a absolument manqué de dignité» by forcing «cette ignorante et cette bourgeoise» to pay, and «Mme Mackay est étrangère. Elle aura tort.» (103.0363–0365). The 70,000 francs and the W.C. detail are Marie's; the 1884 press accounts summarised on the Gurney Journey site say Mr Mackay first refused to pay, then paid and burned the picture. See #Meissonnier.

Other mention

In a dialogue with Marie about the man she loves (speaker presumably Julian), the reply lists what would hold such a man: beauty, «Ou des millions comme Mme Mackay, soixante millions de rente, une fortune à laquelle rien ne résiste» (103/1884-04-06, 103.0756). Probably the silver heiress (the figure and the wealth context point to her); not certain, since Bastien's friend is also in that conversation's background.

References in Diary

103.0356, 103.0357, 103.0358, 103.0360, 103.0363, 103.0364, 103.0365 (all opened 2026-10-21; 103.0359 and 103.0361 are untagged continuation lines of the same account); 103.0756 (probable).