Bashkirtseff
Orig | CZ

Lola

Basic Aktualizováno: 2025-12-07

Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Diary Coverage: Book 00 (1884 retrospective)

Basic Information

Lola was the daughter of Georges Babanine and his wife Domenica. She was Marie Bashkirtseff's cousin and the sister of Dina and Etienne.

Family Position

Lola was the second daughter of Georges and Domenica: 1. Dina - Older sister, taken and raised by grand-maman, became Countess Toulouse-Lautrec 2. Lola - Middle child 3. Etienne - Younger brother, died at age sixteen

What Marie Records (1884)

In her retrospective preface, Marie provides minimal information:

  • "La fille est mariée" - "The daughter is married" (as of 1884)

This terse mention suggests:

  • Distant Relationship: Marie didn't know Lola well or didn't consider her significant
  • Conventional Life: Unlike Dina (raised with Marie) or Etienne (dramatic early death), Lola followed a normal path
  • Outside the Household: Lola apparently was raised by Domenica, unlike Dina who was taken by grand-maman
  • Unremarkable: No scandals, dramas, or noteworthy events to record

Contrast with Her Siblings

The stark difference in Marie's treatment of the three siblings is revealing:

Dina

  • Extensive diary mentions
  • Raised in the household with Marie
  • Lifelong companion
  • Became Countess Toulouse-Lautrec
  • Marie painted her portrait

Etienne

  • Marie promises to explain his death at sixteen
  • Implies a dramatic or tragic story worth telling
  • Enough significance to warrant future narrative

Lola

  • Single sentence: "La fille est mariée"
  • No further elaboration
  • No indication of relationship or contact
  • Essentially forgotten in Marie's narrative

Possible Explanations

Several factors might explain Lola's minimal presence:

1. Age Difference: Lola may have been significantly older or younger than Marie, limiting childhood interaction 2. Separate Upbringing: Raised by Domenica rather than in the main Babanine household 3. Early Marriage: May have married young and left the family orbit before Marie knew her well 4. Geographic Distance: Could have been living elsewhere by the 1870s-1880s 5. Personality: Simply may not have been memorable or significant to Marie 6. Social Class: If married beneath her station, might have been minimized in family narrative

Historical Context

Marriage as Woman's Destiny (1870s-1880s)

For women of Lola's generation and class, marriage was the expected life path. Marie's single-sentence summary "La fille est mariée" treats this as:

  • Expected Outcome: Nothing remarkable about a woman marrying
  • Complete Story: Once married, a woman's independent identity was subsumed
  • Successful Fate: Better than remaining unmarried, at least from family perspective

Contrast with Marie's Path

By 1884 when Marie writes this, she herself has:

  • Rejected multiple marriage proposals
  • Pursued art career professionally
  • Achieved Salon recognition
  • Chosen independence over conventional marriage

Her dismissive one-line treatment of Lola's marriage may reflect:

  • Disdain for Conventional Path: Marriage as boring, unremarkable fate
  • Artistic Superiority: Marie chose a more interesting life
  • Limited Imagination: Unable to see Lola's life as having intrinsic interest

Unknown Details

Marie's preface leaves many questions unanswered:

  • When did Lola marry?
  • Whom did she marry?
  • Where did she live?
  • Did she have children?
  • What was her relationship with Marie?
  • Is she still alive in 1884?
  • What became of her after Marie's death in 1884?

Related Entries

%%2025-12-07T15:15:00 RSR: Created based on Book 00.35. Lola represents the conventional female fate Marie rejected - married and forgotten. The contrast between extensive Dina entries and dismissive one-line Lola mention reveals Marie's values and relationships.%%