L'Obélisque (The Obelisk)

Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-07-06 Diary Coverage: Up to 1874-04-21

Identity

A remarkably tall and beautiful woman who attends the concert with the Duchess de Mouchy. Marie is captivated by her beauty and imagined goodness. Has become a beauty standard Marie uses for comparison.

Identity uncertain

We are not sure who this is. The Tome 3 name index of Mon Journal files her as «Mouchy (Mlle de), leur fille» and says «Obélisque (l'), surnom de Mlle de Mouchy», but the duc de Mouchy married Anna Murat only in 1865, so a daughter of theirs could not be a marriageable beauty in March 1874; she may be a young relative or protégée of the duchess. Marie's tall «Obélisque» goes about with the duchess (Grand Hôtel concerts, 017.0366 and following) and Marie believes she is to marry Lambertye («Fedus»). Readers who know the Mouchy household of 1874 are invited to share what they know.

Diary References

1874

• March 14: At Grand Hotel concert with Duchess de Mouchy. Marie describes: "l'Obélisque qui est de toute beauté. Il n'y a rien à critiquer dans sa personne et avec sa beauté elle doit aussi être si bonne, si douce, si franche que je l'aime simplement, je l'aime."
• April 21: «la petite fille de Mme de Mouchy … Une Obélisque future» is a different, small girl (t.3 index: «Mouchy (petite-fille du duc de Mouchy), 168»), called a future obelisk, not the Obélisque herself.

Context

• Nickname "Obélisque" (Obelisk) refers to exceptional height
• Considered flawlessly beautiful
• Marie projects goodness onto her based on beauty
• Part of highest aristocratic circles
• Marie's instant admiration and love
• Becomes archetype for female beauty
• Used as standard for comparing other beauties

Related Entries

• #Duchesse_de_mouchy - Mother of future "Obélisque"

Research Notes

• Real identity unknown
• (2026-10-21, RSR) The Tome 3 name index of Mon Journal identifies her: «Mouchy (Mlle de), leur fille : [Obélisque]» and «Obélisque (l'), surnom de Mlle de Mouchy» («leur» = the duc and duchesse de Mouchy). Doubt: the duc de Mouchy married Anna Murat only on 18 December 1865 (Wikipedia, «Antonin-Just-Léon-Marie de Noailles»), so a daughter of theirs could not be a marriageable young woman in 1874; she was probably a young lady of the Mouchy circle or family rather than their daughter. Treat the index's «leur fille» as unconfirmed.
• Marie believed she was engaged to Lambertye («Fedus»): 017.0366 (18 March 1874), discussed again in 017.0395–0403 (20 March), where ma tante (probably) denies it and Marie maintains it.
• Filing: this is a person, not a hotel; the entry sits in places/hotels/ (report, not moved).
• Nickname shows 19th century practice of descriptive sobriquets
• Marie's romantic idealization of beautiful women
• Beauty as predictive category