Dina Babanina

Basic Information

Full name: Dina Babanina (also spelled Babanine); after marriage: Comtesse Dina de Toulouse-Lautrec Born: c. 1853--1855, Poltava region, Ukraine (Russian Empire). Marie's 1884 preface states Dina was born "quatre ou cinq ans avant ma naissance" (four or five years before my birth), i.e. c. 1853--1854. Geneanet genealogical records give 11 May 1855, Poltava (per Alain Garric, Geneanet). Died: 26 July 1914, Nice, France (aged approximately 59--61). Per Geneanet. Nationality: Russian (Ukrainian-born), later French by marriage. Marriage: Married Comte Alexandrine de Toulouse-Lautrec (1836--1894) in 1886, two years after Marie's death. Dina was Marie Bashkirtseff's first cousin and one of the most constant presences in the diary across all twelve years (1873--1884). She appears in approximately 1,043 entries -- by far the most frequently referenced non-family-member after Marie's mother ("Maman"). She is depicted in several of Marie's most important artworks and was at Marie's side during her final days.

Family Background

Dina was the daughter of Georges Babanine, Marie's maternal uncle, making her Marie's first cousin. According to Marie's 1884 preface (carnet 000-02), Georges married at age 20 "une belle veuve de trente-six ans, mere de plusieurs enfants" (a beautiful widow of 36, mother of several children). The mother's name was Domenica (called "Mme Georges" by the family). Dina was born from this marriage: "Dina est sa fille" (Dina is his daughter). The marriage ended in separation.

Seized by the Matriarch

In the preface (carnet 000-08), Marie recounts a pivotal episode: "Lorsque Dina vint au monde, grand-maman alla la prendre sans ceremonie a sa mere et la garda toujours" (When Dina was born, grandmother went and took her unceremoniously from her mother and kept her always). Marie's grandmother (Julie Cornelius Babanina) simply seized the newborn from Domenica and raised her within the Babanine household. Domenica, described as "une femme pratique, tres gaie" (a practical, very cheerful woman) who took "distractions" while Georges abandoned her, apparently did not resist strongly: "sa vraie mere n'y tenait pas trop" (her real mother didn't hold on too much). Dina's mother had two more children by Georges: a daughter Lola (who married) and a son Etienne (who died at sixteen under tragic circumstances).

Raised as Marie's Sister

Marie's mother adopted the role of surrogate mother: "Maman adora Dina" (Mama adored Dina). Dina grew up in the Babanine household as effectively a sister to Marie and Paul, though her father Georges was the family scoundrel -- an alcoholic genius who alternated between charm and violence. This quasi-sibling relationship explains why Marie refers to Dina simply by first name throughout the diary, with no further identification needed.

When the family left Russia in May 1870, Dina was part of the traveling party: "Grand-papa, maman, M. et Mme Romanoff, Dina, Paul et moi" (Grandfather, mama, Mr. and Mrs. Romanoff, Dina, Paul and me), as recorded in carnet 000-05.

Relationship with Marie

Early Diary (1873--1874): Childhood Hierarchy

From the very first entries, Dina is part of the fabric of Marie's daily life. In the 1884 preface recalling her childhood at age five, Marie situates herself in the family hierarchy: "Paul n'etait presque rien et Dina ne me portait pas ombrage bien que fille du bien-aime Georges" (Paul was almost nobody and Dina didn't put me in the shade despite being the daughter of the beloved Georges). Marie is the star; Dina, though daughter of the family favorite, is no rival.

In the earliest diary entries (January 1873), Dina accompanies Marie's mother to social events: "Maman et Dina sont a une matinee musicale a l'hotel Chauvain" (1873-01-30). Marie also evaluates potential suitors for Dina -- Baron Bach (Russian) is judged "assez bon pour Dina" (good enough for Dina) on February 9, 1873, revealing the marriage-market mentality of their milieu.

By September 1873, a scene at the theater captures their dynamic perfectly: when Marie's father declares "si l'on me demandait, je choisirais Dina" (if I were asked, I would choose Dina), Marie is stung. Yet it is Dina who provides the most perceptive observation about the Duke of Hamilton, Marie's infatuation: he is "beau pour ceux qui l'aiment" (handsome for those who love him).

Nice Years (1874--1877): Confidante and Co-Conspirator

Throughout Marie's adolescence in Nice, Dina serves as her constant companion, confidante, and occasional accomplice. They attend church together, take walks on the Promenade, and share clothes -- Marie borrows Dina's black velvet hat (1875-02-24) and her cape. Dina is present at family gatherings, attends the opera, and accompanies Marie to social events.

Their relationship had a mischievous side. In October 1875, when the Sapogenikoff sisters arrive "deguisees en hommes" (disguised as men), Marie and Dina follow suit: "Aussitot moi et Dina en faisons autant, et nous sortons apres avoir fume, jure, dit des horreurs" (Immediately Dina and I do the same, and we go out after having smoked, sworn, said horrible things) -- four young women of the Russian aristocracy parading as "little Nicois men" through the streets (1875-10-30).

Dina also served as Marie's operative in her schemes. When Marie conducted her anonymous letter campaign against the Audiffret family in late 1875, she sent the letters "a Nice a Dina" to be posted from there to disguise their Parisian origin (1875-11-18, 1875-11-19). Dina acted as an eyewitness reporter, providing detailed accounts of the Audiffret family's public humiliation at the opera (1875-11-28).

Yet Marie could be cruel in her assessments. In a moment of existential despair she writes: "Pourquoi ne suis-je pas un morceau de viande comme Dina?" (Why am I not a lump of meat like Dina?) (1875-03-22). And she rages at her family: "Vous pensez tous qu'on peut me conserver comme Dina jusqu'a vingt ans" (You all think you can keep me like Dina until twenty) (1875-03-31) -- Dina represents the conventional path Marie refuses.

Rome and Italy (1876): Social Companion

During the family's sojourn in Rome (carnet 055, March 1876), Dina is Marie's companion on excursions, at receptions, and in their complex social maneuvering around Italian aristocrats. "Je suis seule avec Dina et il fait froid de sorte que je garde ma fourrure" (I am alone with Dina and it is cold so I keep my furs) -- at the Pincio and Corso promenades (1876-03-11). Dina observes, comments, and sometimes reveals Marie's secrets to visitors, prompting Marie's exasperation.

Dina occasionally plays confidante to Marie's romantic interests: she tells Bruschetti "elle est amoureuse d'Antonelli et ensuite elle est amoureuse de Doria" (she is in love with Antonelli and then she is in love with Doria) (1876-03-03), while Marie overhears and agonizes. In another instance, Dina copies a letter Marie writes to Larderei, to disguise the handwriting (1877-04-22).

Paris Years (1877--1883): Art World Companion

After the move to Paris in 1877, Dina remains part of the household at 34 Avenue Montaigne. She participates in the artistic and social world around Marie and the Academie Julian circle. At an impromptu costume party in April 1883, Dina dresses "en petite russienne" (as a little Russian girl) while Marie poses as Madame Recamier after the famous David portrait (1883-04-21).

Marie briefly considered Dina as a potential wife for Tony Robert-Fleury, her painting instructor: "je regrette Dina n'a pas 300,000 francs de dot" (I regret Dina doesn't have a 300,000-franc dowry) -- describing Tony as "bon, honnete, bien eleve, aimable, grand artiste" (good, honest, well-bred, kind, great artist) but noting he wants to marry for money (1883-05-21).

When Marie received her mention honorable at the Salon of 1883, Dina and Marie's aunt "ont tout dit" (told everything) to the press about Marie's youth and abilities (1883-06-17). Dina and her aunt sat behind Marie at the awards ceremony (1883-06-22).

In July 1883, Marie began a portrait of Dina: "pour ne pas perdre de temps je commence un portrait de Dina" (to not lose time I begin a portrait of Dina) (1883-07-22). By late July, the portrait elicited praise from visitors, though Marie was frustrated by faint praise for her other work: "sauf pour cet eternel portrait de Dina que l'on trouve si bien" (except for that eternal portrait of Dina which everyone finds so good) (1883-07-26).

Note on disambiguation: In some 1883 entries (e.g. 1883-05-23, 1883-05-29), "Dina" appearing alongside Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitch may be ambiguous. A previous LAN annotation incorrectly identified this Dina as "Dina Karageorgevitch, Bojidar's sister." This is an error: Bojidar had only one sister, who died in infancy unnamed. The "Dina" who arrives with Bojidar in these entries is Dina Babanina, Marie's cousin, who was part of the same social circle.

Role in Marie's Final Days

In the final months of Marie's life (autumn 1884, carnet 106), Dina's role shifts from companion to devoted caretaker. The parallel structure of Marie's final diary entries is striking: as Jules Bastien-Lepage's brother Emile carries the dying painter on his shoulders up three flights of stairs, Marie writes: "Dina est egalement devouee a moi" (Dina is equally devoted to me) (1884-10-20, Marie's final diary entry). Specific moments from the final entries reveal Dina's constant presence:
- September 14, 1884: Marie is so weak she cannot climb stairs: "il me porte jusqu'en haut suivi de Dina" (he carries me upstairs followed by Dina).
- September 23, 1884: Dina tends to the dying Bastien-Lepage, stroking his head to help him sleep -- "c'est Dina qui lui a tripote la tete pour l'endormir. Elle est si bien portante, si grasse, si forte" (it is Dina who stroked his head to put him to sleep. She is so healthy, so plump, so strong). The contrast with Marie's emaciated state is implicit.
- October 1, 1884: "Dina continue a l'endormir" (Dina continues to put him to sleep), referring to Bastien-Lepage.
- October 7, 1884: Marie's jealousy flares even in dying: she complains of being "l'egale de Dina ou de ma tante" (the equal of Dina or my aunt) in Bastien-Lepage's eyes. Later: "il m'aime mieux que maman, ma tante ou Dina... Et encore ce n'est pas sur" (he loves me better than mama, my aunt or Dina... And even that isn't certain). Dina plays "les ingenues" (the innocent) by asking the architect about a mysterious woman who visited Jules.
- October 11, 1884: "Dina se precipite" (Dina rushes in) -- Dina is the first to react when something happens.
- October 16, 1884: "Dina me lit des romans" (Dina reads novels to me). Marie can no longer leave the house; Dina reads to her as she lies between armchair and sofa.
- October 20, 1884 (final entry): "Mais j'ai dans Dina un devouement pareil" (But I have in Dina a devotion equal [to Emile's for Jules]). This is one of the last sentences Marie ever wrote, comparing Dina's devotion to the brotherly love that carried a dying painter up three flights of stairs. Marie Bashkirtseff died eleven days later, on October 31, 1884.

Appearances in Marie's Art

Marie depicted Dina in at least two major artworks, both of which have complex histories:

1. Jeune femme lisant la Question du Divorce d'Alexandre Dumas (1880)

Also known as The Reader (Die Lesende / La Liseuse).
- Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board
- Dimensions: 64 x 53 cm (first version) / 130 x 98 cm (second version, per Facebook/Female Artists in History catalogue note)
- Subject: The sitter is identified as Dina, depicted reading Alexandre Dumas fils's controversial 1880 book La Question du Divorce (The Divorce Question). The painting carries a feminist message: beautiful women possess intelligence, and the serious subject matter challenges the assumption that women only read "frothy romantic novels" (per mydailyartdisplay.uk).
- Exhibited: Paris Salon 1880. Marie signed it "Russ" (for Russian) so judges would not know she was a woman.
- First version: Marie judged that the portrait "did not resemble its subject sufficiently" and destroyed it with a knife. Her mother secretly retrieved the slashed pieces and glued the canvas back together. After Marie's death, the mother loaned this reconstructed work to the Vienna Secession for the 1910 exhibition "The Art of the Woman" (Die Kunst der Frau). It was then given to Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein (sister of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein), a major sponsor of the exhibition.
- Auction: The slashed-and-restored first version sold at Dorotheum, Vienna, on June 7, 2021, for EUR 149,700 -- a world record price for a work by Marie Bashkirtseff (per Dorotheum and Antiques Trade Gazette).
- Second version: A second version (1880) is in the collection of the Kharkiv Art Museum, Kharkiv, Ukraine.

2. Portrait de la comtesse Dina de Toulouse-Lautrec (1883)

Also known as Portrait de Dina Babanine or Portrait de Mlle de B.
- Medium: Pastel and charcoal on beige paper mounted on canvas stretcher
- Dimensions: H. 61.0 x L. 50.0 cm
- Accession number: RF 39091
- Inscription (verso, pen and brown ink): "Portrait de la Comtesse Dina de Toulouse-Lautrec fait par Marie Bashkirtseff sa cousine en 1883 / Paris 34 avenue Montaigne"
- Description: Dina wears a pale blue decollete peignoir with a wide delicate white collar. Her face, neck and chest are rendered in delicately blended light tones. Her dark blue eyes do not quite focus on the viewer -- a slightly abstracted gaze that enhances the intimacy of the portrait.
- Exhibition history:
- Salon de la Societe des artistes francais, Paris, 1883, no. 2517
- Salon de la Societe des artistes francais (Salon 103), Paris, 1885, no. 106
- "Quelques oeuvres choisies du XIXe et XXe siecles," Galerie Raphael Gerard, Paris, 1939
- Award: Received an honourable mention at the Salon of 1883 (or 1884, per different sources -- Wikipedia states 1884).
- Provenance: Collection of Marie Bashkirtseff-Babanine (the artist's mother) until 1892; donated to the French state 1892; attributed to Musee du Louvre; transferred to Musee du Luxembourg/Jeu de Paume 1930; returned to Louvre 1977; at Musee d'Orsay since 1986. Currently viewable by appointment in the reference room for prints and drawings.
- Bibliography: Benedite, Leonce, L'Artiste (1894); Monnier, Genevieve, Pastels du XIXe siecle (1985), no. 305.
- Sources: Musee d'Orsay (musee-orsay.fr), Louvre Collections (collections.louvre.fr), RMN-GP Images d'Art (art.rmngp.fr), Joconde database (pop.culture.gouv.fr), Wikidata Q23009083.

Later Life (after Marie's Death)

Two years after Marie's death, in 1886, Dina married Comte Alexandrine de Toulouse-Lautrec (1836--1894), becoming the Comtesse Dina de Toulouse-Lautrec. Her husband was approximately 31 years her senior (born 1836, died 1894). The Toulouse-Lautrec family were an ancient French noble house from the Languedoc region (not to be confused with the famous painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864--1901, who belonged to a different branch of this vast aristocratic family; no direct connection between Dina's husband and Henri has been established in available sources). The inscription on the verso of Marie's 1883 pastel portrait identifies Dina by her married name, indicating that it was labeled retrospectively after 1886. Marie's mother donated the portrait to the French state in 1892, eight years after Marie's death. Dina died on July 26, 1914, in Nice -- the city where she had spent much of her youth with Marie and the Babanine family. She was approximately 59--61 years old. The British Library holds archival materials related to Dina, including a pencil drawing endorsed "Dina" (Dina Babanine, Marie Bashkirtseff's cousin), undated, and other sketches from 1882--1895 (SNAC Cooperative, ark:/99166/w6zx1qnd; British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue).

Historical Context

Dina's life trajectory -- from a child seized from her mother by a domineering grandmother, raised as a quasi-adopted daughter in a peripatetic Russian aristocratic household, to Comtesse de Toulouse-Lautrec in the French nobility -- illuminates the social mobility and transnational lives of the Russian petite noblesse in the late nineteenth century. Her relationship with Marie offers insight into several key themes: 1. Matriarchal power: Grand-maman's "sans ceremonie" seizure of baby Dina from Domenica reveals the absolute authority of the Babanine matriarch over family arrangements, overriding even a mother's claim to her child. 2. Illegitimacy and family solidarity: Dina's father had his marriage annulled, rendering his children technically illegitimate. Yet the Babanine women -- Marie's grandmother, mother, and aunt -- embraced Dina completely, raising her as one of their own. 3. Female companionship: Dina's presence throughout the diary demonstrates how extended-family female bonds provided emotional support, practical assistance, and social cover for young women navigating a restrictive world. 4. The marriage market: From Baron Bach in 1873 through Tony Robert-Fleury in 1883, Marie repeatedly evaluated potential husbands for Dina -- revealing how marriage calculations permeated every social encounter for women of their class. 5. Art and intimacy: Marie's portraits of Dina -- particularly the feminist Reader and the intimate 1883 pastel -- represent some of her most personal artistic work, bridging the private world of family and the public arena of the Salon.

Research Notes