Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — ZCerfberr, Anatole
General
Repertory of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A — Z
Cerfberr, Anatole
Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850. Comédie humaine
BIXIOU, son of the preceding and father of Jean-Jacques Bixiou. He was
a colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment; killed at the battle of
Dresden, on the 26th or 27th of August, 1813. [A Bachelor's
Establishment.]
BIXIOU (Jean-Jacques), famous artist; son of Colonel Bixiou who was
killed at Dresden; grandson of Mme. Descoings, whose first husband was
the grocer Bixiou. Born in 1797, he pursued a course of study at the
Lyceum, to which he had obtained a scholarship. He had for friends
Philippe and Joseph Bridau, and Master Desroches. Later he entered the
painter Gros's studio. Then in 1819, through the influence of the Ducs
de Maufrigneuse and de Rhetore, whom he met at some dancer's, he
obtained a position with the Minister of Finance. He remained with
this administration until December, 1824, when he resigned. In this
same year he was one of the best men for Philippe Bridau, who married
Flore Brazier, known as La Rabouilleuse, the widow of J.-J. Rouget.
After this woman's death, in 1828, he was led, disguised as a priest,
to the residence of the Soulanges, where he told the comte about the
scandal connected with her death, knowingly caused by her husband; he
told, also, about the bad habits and vulgarities of Philippe Bridau,
and thus caused the breaking off of the marriage of this weather-beaten
soldier with Mlle. Amelie de Soulanges. A talented cartoonist,
distinguished practical joker, and recognized as one of the kings of
_bon mot_, he led a free and easy life. He was on speaking terms with
all the artists and all the lorettes of his day. Among others he knew
the painter, Hippolyte Schinner. He turned a pretty penny, during the
trial of De Fualdes and de Castaing, by illustrating in a fantastic
way the account of this trial. [A Bachelor's Establishment. The
Government Clerks. The Purse.] He designed some vignettes for the
writing of Canalis. [Modeste Mignon.] With Blondet, Lousteau and
Nathan he was a habitue of the house of Esther Gobseck, rue
Saint-Georges, in 1829, 1830. [Scenes from a Courtesan's Life.] In a
private room of a well-known restaurant, in 1836, he wittily related
to Finot, Blondet and Couture the source of Nucingen's fortune. [The
Firm of Nucingen.] In January, 1837, his friend Lousteau had him come
especially to upbraid him, Lousteau, on account of the latter's
irregular ways with Mme. de la Baudraye, while she, concealed in an
ante-room, heard it all. This scene had been arranged beforehand; its
object was to give Lousteau a chance to declare, apparently, his
unquenchable attachment for his mistress. [The Muse of the
Department.] In 1838 he attended the house-warming of Heloise
Brisetout in rue Chauchat. In the same year he was attendant at the
marriage of Steinbock with Hortense Hulot, and of Crevel with the
widow Marneffe. [Cousin Betty.] In 1839 the sculptor
Dorlange-Sallenauve knew of Bixiou and complained of his slanders.
[The Member for Arcis.] Mme. Schontz treated him most cordially in 1838,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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