1872 – Born in St
Petresburg daughter of the fashionable Polish sculptor Cyprien Godebski and Sophie Servais, daughter of the
celebrated Belgian cellist
Adrien-François Servais. Her mother dies at childbirth leaving two more orphans
Misia’s brothers, Franz and Ernest. Misia will be brought up by her maternal
grandmother in Hal near Brussels in a highly musical family one of whose close
friends is Franz Liszt. Her father remarries Matylda Rosen-Natanson and settles
in Paris.
1874 – Birth of Misia’s
half brother Cyprien (Cipa) to whom
she will remain close all her life. The Godebskis buy a country house, La
Grangette, in Valvins near Fontainebleau. Misia wil later be educated
at the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart (current Rodin museum) which
she will absolutely loath. It’s there, however, that she will be given her
first piano lessons by the composer Gabriel
Fauré.
1889 – Creation of the
artistic and literary review, La Revue Blanche, by the brothers
Alexandre, Thadée and Alfred Natanson.
1892 – Misia’s first public
concert at the Théâtre d’Application in Paris remarked in the Revue Blanche.
1893 – Misia marries in
Ixelles, Brussels her cousin by alliance Thadée
Natanson (1868-1951) lawyer, businessman and journalist of Jewish-Polish
origins. The couple settles in rue Florentin in Paris where Misia will hold her
first “salon”. Her guests are the collaborators of the Revue Blanche: Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Félix
Valotton, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Romain Coolus, Octave Mirbeau, Tristan
Bernard, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel…
1894 – She appears on an
advertising poster for the review designed by Bonnard. Natanson names the art
critic and anarchist Félix Fénéon as editor of the review. Misia hears for the
first time Debussy’s opera Péléas and
Melisande in a private recital by the composer. She accompanies the avant
garde theater troupe of the director Lugné-Poe to Norway where she meets the
playwright Henrik Ibsen.
1895 – Appears as
fashionable ice skater on a Revue Blanche
poster by Toulouse-Lautrec.
1897– Thadée and Misia abandon La Grangette which is too small for
their numerous summer guests for a bigger house, Le Relais, at
Villeneuve-sur-Yonne. The couple visits Venice, which is to become Misia’s
favorite city outside of Paris.
1898 – Death of the poet
Stéphane Mallarmé, end of an era. Misia invites all the poet’s friends to
Villeneuve after the funeral. La Revue
Blanche publishes Valotton’s woodcut series “Intimités”.
1899 – Birth of Cipa’s daughter
Marie-Anne (Mimi) who will become
Misia’s favorite niece.
1900 – Misia meets Alfred Edwards, immensely wealthy
businessman and newspaper publisher. He proposes to her husband Thadée who is
nearly bankrupt to run Hungarian mines he’s invested in. He assiduously courts
Misia.
1902 – Premiere in Paris of
Debussy’s Péleas et Melisande.
1903 – Revue Blanche closes. Misia and Thadée separate against a
background of increasing financial difficulties.
1904 – Misia and Thadée divorce.
1905 – Marriage of Misia and Alfred Edwards. They move to a sumptuous
apartment on rue de Rivoli. Edwards builds a yacht in honor of his wife
christened Aimée (after her initials:
M,E) on which she will invite artists and friends for luxurious river cruises.
1906 – Edwards begins love affair with the actress Geneviève
Lantelme. He writes a play, “Par
ricochet” based on his experience of separating Misia from her former
husband Thadée.
1907 – Misia separates
from Edwards. Vacations in Normandy close to Vuillard, Tristan Bernard and the
actor Lucien Guitry. Travels in Italy in the company of playwright Romain
Coolus.
1908 – The artist
Jean-Louis Forain introduces Misia to the Catalan painter José Maria Sert who sweeps her off her feet into a passionate love
affair. Premiere in Paris of Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov produced by Serge
Diaghilev. Misia is mesmerized by the production. She is introduced to
Diaghilev by Sert, they talk through he night and meet again for lunch the next
day. She will become his closest friend and patron in Paris.
1909 – Misia divorces Edwards, he will pay her a generous monthly pension. Death of her father Cyprien Godebski. First Ballets
Russes season at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
1910 – Edwards marries
Genevieve Lantelme. Misia introduces the fledging writer and poet Jean Cocteau to Diaghilev. She leaves
rue de Rivoli and moves to an old apartment on the quai Voltaire for which
Bonnard paints four wall panels.
1911 – Lantelme drowns
mysteriously during a cruise on the Aimée. First London season for the Ballets Russes financed by Lady Rippon.
1912 – Scandal at
the Théâtre du Châtelet of Debussy’s Prelude
to the Afternoon of the Faun inspired by the Mallarmé poem and
choreographed and danced by Nijinsky.
1913 – First ballet with
modern costumes, Jeux. Scandal of
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at the
theater des Champs Elysées choreographed by Nijinsky. Serts spend summer with
Diaghilev in Venice. Break up of Nijinksy and Diaghilev after his marriage to
Hungarian dancer in Argentina. Diaghilev promotes new dancer Leonid Massine.
1914 – Death of Alfred
Edwards of pneumonia. The composer Eric Satie dedicates Trois morceaux en forme d’une poire to Misia. Thadée Natanson
marries Reine Vaur. After the outbreak of war Misia with Cocteau organize ambulance
convoys to the front.
1916 – Misia travels in
Italy and Spain. She moves to the hotel Meurice.
1917 – Scandal of opening
of Parade at the Théâtre du Châtelet, first “Cubist” ballet with sets and
costumes by Picasso, script by Jean Cocteau and music by Eric Satie. Misia
meets the modiste Gabrielle Chanel at the home of the
actress Cécile Sorel. Chanel will become her closest woman friend in the post
war period. She introduces Chanel to Paris artistic circles. Misia sells quai
Voltaire apartment and travels with Sert and the ballets russes in Spain.
1918 – Death of Debussy,
Misia sees him on his death bed. Assists with Sert at marriage of Picasso and
the ballerina Olga Khokhlova in Orthodox Russian church in Paris.
1919 – Death in a car
accident of Arthur Capel, Chanel’s lover and protector.
1920 – Misia’s niece
Marie-Anne Godebska works as a model for Chanel. Marriage of Misia and Sert in St Roch in Paris, honeymoon in Venice
in the company of Chanel. Misia introduces Chanel to Diaghilev. She will finance
the new production of the Rite of Spring
in the new choreography by Massinne.
1924 – First season in
Monte Carlo of the ballet russes, creation of Les biches, music by Poulenc, choreography by Bronislava Nijinska with sets and costumes by Marie Laurencin
and dedicated to Misia. Misia visits New York for the opening of a Sert
exhibition at the Wildenstein gallery.
1925 – Sert meets the Russian
sculptress Roussy Mdivani who
becomes his mistress. She moves in with the Serts at the hotel Meurice. Misia
discovers the affair during a summer holiday in Biarritz, Roussy attempts
suicide and then leaves for New York.
1926 – Misia and Sert are
in New York.
1927 – Misia, Sert and
Roussy are back together and travel to Italy. Misia leaves for New York to help
Bolette Natanson daughter of Alexander, brother of ther former husband Thadée
to set up a decorating firm. She makes glass trees out of crystal and crystal
rock. Divorces Sert who moves into the
Lutétia hotel with Roussy.
1928 – Misia moves to
sumptuous ground floor apartment on rue de Constantine (esplanade des
Invalides) where she will live
until 1946. It is decorated with mother of pearl futrniture, silver lamé
curtains, Chinese porcelain, a vitrine of her hand painted fans and paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec,
Vuillard, Bonnard and Renoir. Sert asks for a religious annulment of his
marriage. Civil marriage with Roussy. Misia stays with Chanel and her lover the
duke of Westminster in England before leaving for cruise with Sert and Roussy
in Greece and Turkey.
1929 – Misia is in New York
in the company of an aspiring Russian fashion designer, Fira Benenson. She is
introduced to jazz and New York night life. In August rushes to Venice to see
Diaghilev who is dying. She will organize and partially finance his funeral and
burial on the island of San Michele.
1930 – Religious marriage
of Sert and Roussy at Spanish church in Paris. Misia accompanies Chanel to
Holywood where she has a contract to design the clothes for 4 Sam Goldwyn
films.
1933 – Misia gives a public
concert at the Continetal hotel in Paris. Plays 8 Francis Poulenc songs
dedicated to famous Poles, one of which is dedicated her and another to her
niece Mimi.
1937 – Death of Misia’s
half-brother Cipa. Sert sides with Franco’s side in Spanish civil war. Shows
“Martyrs of the Motherland” at Vatican pavilion (which officiously represents
Franco’s Spain) in 1937 Paris World’s Fair.
1938 – Death of Roussy at 32 suffering from tuberculosis and morphine
addiction. Misia looks after her in her final days. After Roussy’s death Sert
resumes a liaison with Misia though they keep separate apartments. Misia has
serious problems with her eyes, she becomes closer to her niece Mimi.
1939 – Misia writes a text
for the catalog of a Diaghilev exhibition at the Musée des arts décoratifs.
After the outbreak of war Sert is named Franco’s ambassador to Vatican and
collaborates with Germans after occupation of Paris. Misia visits him every day
in his rue de Rivoli apartment and helps him with his correspondence.
1940 – Premiere of
Cocteau’s celebrated play Les Monstres
sacrés, inspired by the triangular relationship of Sert, Misia and Roussy.
1944 – Sert has an affair
with Ursula van Stöhrer, the German ambassador’s wife.
1945 – Death
of Sert from hepatitis. Misia inherits his apartment on rue de Rivoli with
all its contents. Her niece, Mimi, now divorced moves in with her along with
Sert’s former secretary the journalist Boulos (Pierre Ristelhueber) who
supplies Misia with morphine. She begins seeing Chanel after having distanced herself
from her during the war years. Looses an eye after a haemorrhage, recovers in
Swiss clinic but has a heart attack on her return to Paris.
1946 – Writing of Chanel’s memoirs in collaboration
with Paul Morand. The chapter dedicated to Misia is particularly cruel.
1947 – Last trip to Venice, she is photographed by
Horst.
1949 – Death of her niece Mimi in a car accident.
Misia is arrested for using drugs, spends 24 hours in prison.
1950 – Death
of Misia in her apartment on rue de Rivoli. Chanel does her mortuary
toilette. A religious ceremony is held in the Polish church in Paris. She is
buried in the cemetery of Samoreau near Valvins next to her niece Mimi.
