Clémentine Jouassain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3 December 1829
Clémentine Jouassain | |
|---|---|
 Clémentine Jouassain as photographed by Félix Nadar in about 1873 | |
| Born | Catherine-Julie-Clémentine Jouassain 3 December 1829 Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat |
| Died | 7 May 1902 Paris |
| Occupation | Actress |
Catherine-Julie-Clémentine Jouassain, baronne de Tournière (3 December 1829 – 7 May 1902) was a French actress, a societaire of the Comédie-Française.
Joassain was born in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, near Limoges, the daughter of Léonard Jouassain and Marie Masrevery. Her father was a merchant.[1] She studied at the Conservatoire in Paris, a student of Joseph Isidore Samson.[2][3]
Career
Jouassain debuted with the Comédie-Française in 1851,[4] and became a societaire in 1863. She was called "reine des duègnes" (Queen of the Duennas), because she almost always played supporting characters; she was not considered to have the face or physique for leading roles.[5] She was cast in plays by Jean Racine, Molière and Victor Hugo,[6] and was credited as creating dozens of roles.[3] In 1870, Joussain and three other actresses of the Comédie-Française, Madeleine Brohan, Marie Favart and Edile Riquier, announced that they were closing the theatre to open its space as "an ambulance" for treating French casualties during the Siege of Paris.[7] "Excellent above all in Molière and Marivaux, and interesting in everything," commented a London newspaper in 1879, "she is one of the most original, most useful, and most laborious members of the company."[8] She retired from the Comédie with a pension in 1887.[2][3]
Jouassain donated art to the Musée d'Orsay.[9]
