In the very first piece from “Marcel Proust’s Circle”, published by @honorechampion, @jeanmarc.quaranta…

In the very first piece from “Le Cercle de Marcel Proust”, published by @honorechampion, @jeanmarc.quaranta discusses Alfred Agostinelli, Proust’s chauffeur and later his secretary, and the main inspiration for the character of Albertine in the “Search” for Lost Time”. 🌸

Proust met Agostinelli in the summer of 1907 at the @grandhotelcabourgmgallery 🏩. This luxurious establishment on the Normandy coast reopened on 7 July 1907, and the Parisian press described it as a veritable palace, equipped with all the modern comforts sought by a wealthy clientele. A taxi service 🚕 was available to guests, and Proust enjoyed going on car trips in the company of “the ingenious Agostinelli”, the chauffeur and mechanic.

Relatively little is known about their relationship between 1908 and 1912, but around mid-March 1913, having just reached an agreement with @editionsgrasset 📗 to publish his novel at his own expense, Proust welcomed Alfred… and his partner Anna to his home at 102 Boulevard Haussmann.

In June 1913, two months later, Proust was going through a very busy period (going out, running errands, working) whilst at the same time complaining to his correspondents about “crises”. He spoke of a great heartbreak 💔. One might imagine an unrequited love for Alfred. But the article by @jeanmarc.quaranta takes the investigation further, and we discover that Proust was indirectly affected by the illness and subsequent death of Catherine Agostinelli, Alfred’s mother. She passed away in Nice on 15 June 1913, and Alfred had left Paris to be by her side until the very end.

In 1913, Proust relived the heartbreak of his own mother’s death and, in anticipation, that of Agostinelli’s departure. Indeed, his chauffeur/secretary/lover (?) would leave Boulevard Haussmann once again in December 1913 and die in a plane crash 🌊 on 30 May 1914, off the coast of Antibes.

And so, Jeanne/Catherine/Alfred/Albertine disappears, and the work, as if from an ‘artesian well’, will be able to explore the ‘mining basin’ of grief and mourning. 🛌🕰️✍🏻

#proustagram #MarcelProust #ÀlaRechercheduTempsperdu