revolution_fr | (no subject)

Hello. Some little things - which I suppose are easier to take for granted...

First: I somehow feel guilty asking this, since it's not very useful either way (yes, let me deprecate myself a moment more) - else I might have brought it up earlier as it's been bothering me vaguely for years - but since I'd like to finally strike it off my 'wtf' list, I'm just going to put it out there: I recall reading on this site (incidentally, is it gone?) that Desmoulins was a "rumored" bisexual. Since then I have found this addressed in all of one place: Mantel's novel. Somehow, a work of fiction and the internet just don't do it for me, so I was wondering if anyone here knows of any reference to Camille's sexuality coming from a legit source? Or anything that isn't fictional outright, at least? Or is it just something the author of that site might have absorbed from fiction? Or both?!

Second: Okay, maybe this is just silly. But can anyone tell me more about the lock of Robespierre's hair at the Musée Carnavalet? ...and why it's white?

By the way, I'd like to suggest that since this community has separate tags under "desmoulins" and "camille desmoulins" that they be merged together. (Of course I am stupid about such things.)

Threaded | Flat

I still haven't been to the Musee Carnavalet (and it was on TV for a couple of minutes tonight, just to remind me!) so I haven't seen the relic in question, but some colours are fugitive - the red in Victorian taxidermy squirrels and foxes and - er - kittens - goes white with exposure to light. I don't have any antique brown or reddish hair, but it may do the same! Other than that - powder? Wig?

I don't have the reference to hand, but I think it comes from a remark made by Danton, recorded by Robespierre and given to Saint-Just for his accusation: it's something like 'Danton's a false friend and accused him of a private and shameful vice' (but that could be any number of things!). My Desmoulins book is Claretie, and he's very prim (1870's), so there's nothing on the source for the shagging Lucile's mother story, or any mention of bisexuality, or if such rumours floated around in scandal sheets of the time - hopefully someone else with a more up-to-date biog can enlighten on that!

Re Camille: I haven't seen much to support that claim and I don't think it's the sort of thing that would be heavily documented, the rest of his life being rather more interesting.

Re Robespierre: It's an interesting question. He was under a lot of stress--is it possible he'd developed some white hairs naturally from that?

Re: Maxime's hair. Seriously, I was just there a day or two ago and I was like "Huh! It's white!" My only guess was that it absorbed the powder? Or that it wasn't really Robespierre's hair. Or that due to stress he went waaaaay prematurely gray.

Re: Camille. Fear not, I have reflected on this question a lot. It's not just that website and Mantel's book though, as he is portrayed as bisexual in "City of Darkness, City of Light" (I'm pretty sure, it's been a long time since I read the book), and then there's "The Danton Case" in which everyone has a kind of questionable sexuality (Robespierre-sexual?). The only historical evidence that Camille may have been bi comes from guesses based on his personality/behavior and a line in the notes Robespierre took on the Dantonists.

(Translated by me as part of my Desmoulins translation project, I don't have the original French with me at the moment.)

"Proof of Danton’s ungrateful and black soul: He had loudly applauded Desmoulins’ latest works; at the Jacobins he dared to call for freedom of the press when I proposed that they should have the honors of being burned. During the last visit I mentioned, he spoke to me of Desmoulins with contempt: He attributed his deviances to a secret and shameful vice that has no relation to the Revolution."

THis comment about Camille's "shameful vice" could be heard at "la Terreur et la Vertu-Danton" in a conversation between Danton et Robespierre. Robespierre is very sad for Danton has trained Camille behind him, and Danton saids something over the lines of: "Oh! Camille! He is not too important that Camille! He is deep in this shameful vice, you know?". Then Robespierre seems very chocked and answers: " Thi shameful vice?"...and then it's Danton who seems to be amazed: "But,you didn't know it, then?"- he saids...And Robespierre shout out something like: "You are not worthy!". And they wouldn't go further on the issue of "this shameful vice". You must just wonder which this vice could be...

HanriotFran (Vanesa)

P.S: I just love the way Robespierre said it in French: "Ce vice honteux?"...Oh, it sunds dramatically good. :D