Rosalie de Constant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rosalie de Constant
Born	31 July 1758
Died	27 November 1834  (aged 76)

Rosalie de Constant (born July 31, 1758, in Saint-Jean, Geneva – died November 27, 1834, in Geneva) was a talented Swiss artist and scientist. She was known for her beautiful illustrations and her deep interest in nature, especially plants.

Rosalie was the daughter of Samuel de Constant de Rebecque and Charlotte Pictet. She wrote many letters, especially to her cousin, Benjamin Constant. She also created an amazing collection of plant paintings, called a herbarium, which had more than 1,200 pages!

Rosalie's Early Life and Family

Rosalie de Constant was born into an important family in the Geneva region. Her parents, Samuel and Charlotte, had four children: Rosalie, Lisette, Juste, and Charles. Charles later became known as "Charles the Chinese" because he traveled and lived in China for many years.

Challenges and Changes

When Rosalie's mother, Charlotte, passed away in 1766, the family faced money problems. Rosalie, as the oldest sister, took on more responsibility. Sadly, in 1767, she had an accident and broke her shoulder. This injury affected her for the rest of her life.

Rosalie also had a half-brother named Victor, from her father's second marriage. Victor was a member of the Swiss Guard for King Louis XVI. He was very lucky to survive a dangerous event in 1792.

Rosalie's Personal Notebooks

From a young age, Rosalie loved to write in special notebooks called Cahiers verts (Green Notebooks). These notebooks were filled with all sorts of things, like cooking recipes, her thoughts, poems, and even notes from her travels.

Friendships and Connections

In the 1770s, Rosalie's family became closer to another part of the Constant family who lived in Lausanne. This is how Rosalie became good friends with her cousin, Benjamin Constant. They wrote many letters to each other throughout their lives, right up until Benjamin's death in 1830.

Life in Lausanne

Because of money issues, Rosalie's father moved the family to Lausanne in 1787. They lived at a property called La Chablière, which belonged to Benjamin's father. Lausanne was a lively place for thinkers and artists at that time. Famous people like Edward Gibbon lived there.

Rosalie also had a close friendship with another cousin, Constance d'Hermenches. Constance later met the famous writer Germaine de Staël, and Benjamin Constant met her too. Rosalie admired Germaine de Staël. Even when Benjamin's relationship with Germaine became difficult, Rosalie stayed by her cousin's side as his trusted friend.

A Brief Romance

For about two years, Rosalie exchanged letters with a writer named Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre. He was the author of a famous book called Paul and Virginie. However, he stopped writing to Rosalie when he found out she was not wealthy and had a disability.

Joining a Famous Salon

Starting in 1797, Rosalie lived with Madame de Charrière-Bavois, who was her father's cousin. Madame de Charrière-Bavois hosted one of the most important social gatherings, or "salons," in Lausanne. Many important people, including writers and thinkers, would meet there.

Rosalie's Passion for Nature and Art

Being in such an inspiring environment further encouraged Rosalie's love for botany (the study of plants), drawing, and painting.

Creating Her Herbarium

As early as 1795, Rosalie began working on her painted herbarium. This was a collection of plant drawings and paintings that she continued to work on for the rest of her life. Creating this herbarium was a way for Rosalie to find peace and focus, especially when her family was worried about money. A friend named Mathieu de Montmorency encouraged her in this work during a trip to the mountains.

Friendship with a Novelist

From 1804 onwards, Rosalie had a long friendship with the novelist Claire de Duras. Claire de Duras wrote a well-known book called Ourika and also shared Rosalie's passion for botany.

Travels and Later Life

In 1819, Rosalie went on a trip to the German-speaking part of Switzerland with her English friends, Sir Francis and Lady Drake. She kept a diary of her travels, which was later published in French in 1964.

From 1820 until her death in 1834, Rosalie lived in different places, including Lausanne and Geneva. In her final years, she and her brother Charles spent time with other important figures of the time, such as Albertine Necker de Saussure and the writer François-René de Chateaubriand.

Rosalie never married, even though she received at least two marriage proposals during her life.