If you don’t marry me I’ll die! No, really.
French painter Pierre-Paul Prud’hon (1758-1823) was a very successful Romantic painter known for his allegorical work and for being a favorite in the court of Napoleon. Although he was (unhappily) married, in 1803 he began living with a student of his named Constance Mayer (1775-1821). Constance, an artist in her own right, usually executed Prud’hon’s paintings after he did the drawings.
In 1821 their relationship ended when he told her that he had no plans to marry her, even though his wife had died. This was a tragic blow for Constance, who by this time had been with Prud’hon for 18 years! In the spirit of true artistic drama, Constance ended her life by slitting her own throat with Prud’hon’s razor in his own studio. When Prud’hon died two years later her was buried next to her.
To learn more about Constance Mayer click here.
To learn more about Pierre-Paul Prud’hon click here.
May 18, 2009 at 2:47 am
Talk about #1 crush!