George Sand (Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin)

Gorge Sand is a nickname of a French writer, her real name - Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin. (1804-1876)

She was born on 1 July 1804 in Paris. Her father, a grandson of Marshal Maurice of Saxony, served as adjutant for Murat, her mother was a dressmaker in Paris. The future writer visited Spain with mother during the Napoleonic campaign, then got to silent rural conditions to her grandmother who brought up George according to Jean Jacque Russo's ideas. Living close to peasants, the girl early learned life of rural poor people and rich men, got used to take to heart interests of poor neighbors and was negative towards the latters. Sand got education in a monastery, as many girls of her environment. After graduating the monastery Aurora got interested in reading and read overall library of her granny. Russo's works had a great influence on her, what was evidenced by her works. After grandmother's death Aurora soon married Kazimir Dudevan. He appeared absolutely improper partner for the clever, inquisitive, pensive and original woman. He was a typical bourgeois-grabber.

In 1831 she won the right to live separately, received little maintenance, and moved to Paris. She got acquainted with a young writer Jules Sand, and together they composed a very rough affair Rose and Blanche (Rose et Blanche, 1831), publishing it under the name Jules Sand. The following year she achieved great success by writing a novel, Indiana (Indiana, 1832) and published it under the name of George Sand. In 1833, George Sand made the famous trip to Italy with A. de Musset, their love story was the basis of her book, She and He (Elle et lui, 1859). Among other men whom loved George Sand, were Sh.O.Sent-Beuve, P. Merimee, Dr. P. Padzhello (rival Musset), M. de Bourges, F. Lamennais, P. Leroux, F. Liszt, Balzac, A.Dyuma-father, G. Flaubert and Fr.Shopen.

Her extensive work is traditionally divided into four periods. The first - idealistic, it is marked by lyrical and romantic manner of writing, in those years, she fiercely defended the rights of oppressed society, women and fought for freedom of love in the novels Indiana, Valentine (Valentine, 1832), Leliya (Llia, 1833) and others.

The second period was mystical, socialistic. This phase is represented by such books as Le Compagnon du tour de France, 1840, Consuelo, 1842, Le Meunier d'Angibault, 1845.

In the novels of the third period, created for the most part after the return of the writer into Berry in escape from difficult experiences, associated with the collapse of the 1848 Revolution. They described unpretentious village scenes: La Mare au diable, 1846, La petite Fadette, 1848, Francois le Champi, 1849, Les Matres sonneurs, 1853.

Compositions of the fourth period are based on pure love stories, which reflected her own love experiences: Marquis de Wilmer (Le Marquis de Villemer, 1860 and Jean de la Roche, 1860.

Contemporaries considered Sand changeable and heartless, named her lesbian and were surprised, why she chose men more younger than she was.

Was George Sand beautiful? One spoke, she was, others considered her disgusting. Contemporaries represented her as a low woman, with stout constitution, gloomy face, big eyes, yellow colour of a skin and premature wrinkles on a neck. However, all recognised that she had beautiful hands. The men who were soft on her, used numerous enthusiastic epithets to describe her beauty.

George Sand got acquainted with Frederic Chopin on reception. The composer was not been amazed by her beauty - the well-known writer seemed not pleasant to him. It is more surprising that after a while the gentle, thin, vulnerable Chopin fell in love with the woman who smoked tobacco and openly spoke on any themes. Chopin fell ill (as earlier Alfred dе Musset). Eventually they parted. This love story was described in a novel.

Last years of life George Sand spent in her estate, where she enjoyed widespread respect and earned the nickname 'the good lady of Noana'. She died there on 8 June 1876.