Image description
She is a woman over 30 years old, with short, stylized hair, long eyebrows, straight, long nose, wearing elegant clothes.
Her forehead is outlined by the curly hair, combed sideways, represented by a pattern of slightly curbed lines.
The texture of full, crammed rhombuses represents the scarf that sits at the base of her long, thin neck, as well as the stripes of her dress.
She is wearing long earrings, made out of dense, thick dots.
Historical information
She was born on 28 January 1886, in Bucharest, the daughter of Ion Lahovary (former Minister of Internal Affairs) and of Smaranda Mavrocordat [Bibliography 1]. After she finishes her studies at a Belgian monastery, in 1905, she gets married to George Valentin Bibescu [Bibliography 2]. In 1908, Martha Bibescu was to publish her first novel, Les Huit Paradis (The Eight Heavens), which was rewarded by the French Academy [Bibliography 3]. During the following years, she published diverse poems in prose, travel notes, short biographies, or essays under the pseudonym Lucile Decaux [Bibliography 4]. Her literary career was not her only preoccupation. Starting with 1916 she runs a hospital for wounded in Bucharest, from where she sent news about the country to the refugee Government in Iasi [Bibliography 5].
The inter-war period was a prolific one for her literary career. Martha Bibescu publishes a lot of volumes, amongst which Isvorul, Les Pays de Saulles – 1923, Le destin du lord Thomson of Cardington – 1927 or Au bal avec M. Proust – 1928.
Although she was actively involved in the two world wars (one way or another), in 1945 Martha Bibescu leaves for England, before the communist regime condemned her to oblivion [Bibliography 6]. Her literary career continues, and in 1955 she becomes a member of the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature in Bruxelles [Bibliography 7]. Also, she continues publishing volumes such as Le Confesseur et les poètes (The Confessor and the Poets) – 1970 or Échanges avec Paul Claudel (Letters with Paul Claudel) – 1972.
Martha Bibescu died on 28 November 1973, and was buried in the Menars Castles, on the Valley of Loire [Bibliography 8].
Bibliography
- Ghislain de Diesbach, Prinţesa Bibescu: 1886-1973. Ultima orhidee, Editura Vivaldi, p. 767.
- Florea Firan, Constantin M. Popa, Literatura Diasporei: antologie comentată, Editura Peosis, 1994, p.81.
- Ion Pop, Dicționar analitic de opere literare românești, Cluj, Casa Cărții de Știință, 2000, p. 657.
- Narcis Dorin Ion, Dan Nasta, Mogoșoaia, trei secole de istorie 1702-2002, București, Editura Tritonic, 2002, p. 159.
- Martha Bibescu, Jurnal Politic, Ianuarie 1939- ianuarie 1941, București, Editura Politică, 1979, p. 16.
- Narcis Dorin Ion, Dan Nasta, op. cit., p. 87.
- Florea Firan, Constantin M. Popa, op. cit., p. 82.
- I. M. Ștefan, V. Firoiu, Sub semnul Minervei: femei de seamă din trecutul românesc, București, Editura Politică, 1975, p. 145.
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