FR EN
1 / 7
an old book with a drawing of a castle in the backgroundan old book with a drawing of a man in a suitan old book with a drawing of a man with long hairan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman in front of a housean open book with writing on it sitting on top of a tablea piece of paper with writing on it on a tablean old book with writing on it sitting on a table
LES ANDELYS ENCHERES

474 - MOUNET-SULLY (1841–1916). A sketchbook bound in green percal…
See original version (French)

Estimate €300 - €500
Sale commission
Description
MOUNET-SULLY (1841–1916). A sketchbook bound in green percaline, monogrammed ‘SM’, containing 13 sketches, most of which are signed and dated. Charcoal, graphite and Indian ink: portraits (Rembrandt), animals, landscapes, flowers. 21.5 x 31 cm. Enclosed is a watercolour depicting a house by a lake, signed A. Dupuy and dated 1863. Handwritten note: ‘This sketchbook is the childhood sketchbook of my father-in-law, Mounet-Sully; in addition to the drawings he made himself, other, older drawings by him have been added … (theatre drawings, sketches of his friends, etc. …). My father-in-law destroyed many of his papers; he always wanted to keep this album”. Biography: Jean-Sully Mounet, known as Mounet-Sully, born on 27 February 1841 in Bergerac and died on 1 March 1916 in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, was a French stage and film actor, and a member of the Comédie-Française. Born into a middle-class Protestant family from the Béarn region, who intended for him to become a lawyer, he preferred to follow his calling and become an actor. His brother was Paul Mounet, an actor, drama teacher and member of the Comédie-Française. After a year’s study at the Paris Conservatoire, he made his debut at the Odéon in 1868, where he was limited to minor roles. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, he was posted as a lieutenant in the reserve forces in the Dordogne. On his return to Paris, the Odéon closed its doors to him. Thanks to the support of his former tutor at the Conservatoire, he then joined the Comédie-Française. He made his debut there on 4 July 1872 in the role of Orestes. The audience applauded him, but the critics remained reserved, criticising him for his overly unconventional style of acting. Endowed with an imposing stature, graceful movements and a fine voice, he nevertheless went on to establish himself as one of the most renowned tragic actors of his time. Holding his art in high regard, he revitalised a craft that had not undergone such a transformation since Talma. Contrary to Diderot and his ‘Paradox on the Actor’, Mounet-Sully believed that an actor must set aside his own personality when taking to the stage, allowing himself to be entirely absorbed by his role. Elected as the 297th member of the company in 1874, he played the great roles of the repertoire: Rodrigue in *Le Cid*, Nero in *Britannicus*, Hippolytus in *Phaedra*, Orosmane in *Zaïre*, and Hernani in 1877 alongside Sarah Bernhardt, reaching the height of his career in 1881 in *Oedipus Rex*, performed at the Théâtre-Français in Paris and revived in 1888 at the ancient theatre in Orange. In 1885, he directed a more modern version of *Britannicus*—which won over the audience—in which he played Nero. In 1886, he enjoyed another triumph in the role of Hamlet. In 1894, having become the senior member following Edmond Got’s departure, he founded the Chorégies d’Orange with Émilie Leroux, staging Sophocles’ *Antigone* In 1908, he began his film career, notably with *Le Baiser de Judas* by Armand Bour and André Calmettes, followed by *Andromaque* the following year, Calmette’s *The Gravediggers’ Scene from Hamlet* and Gaston Roudès’s *The Legend of Oedipus Rex* in 1912. In 1914, when war broke out, his position led him to defend the interests of the Comédie-Française whilst part of the company was mobilised and it became difficult to put on performances. Although he was over seventy years old, he still performed from time to time. Thus, in April 1915, he appeared in one of the roles that had contributed most to his success in earlier years, that of Polyeucte. This was his final appearance. He was also the author of a five-act play, *La Buveuse de larmes*, and two plays in verse: *Gygès* and *La Vieillesse de Don Juan*. A lover of Sarah Bernhardt, Mounet-Sully was the partner of the actress Jeanne Rémy, with whom he had a daughter who would also become a member of the company under the name Jeanne Sully. Following a funeral service at the Oratoire du Louvre, he was buried at Montparnasse Cemetery. A street in his hometown of Bergerac bears his name.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale ART OBJECTS, CERAMICS, GLASSWARE, TABLEWARE
Auction location
Auction time 09/30/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like