Poet, sculptor, art critic and symbolist author.

1845-1917

She was the daughter of Théophile Gautier and Ernesta Grisi, and sister of the noted singer and ballet dancer Carlotta Grisi. She was married to Catulle Mendès, but soon separated from him, had a brief affair with the composer Richard Wagner during the late summer of 1876. She collaborated with Pierre Loti, the famous novelist, in writing a play, La fille du ciel (1912; English, "The Daughter of Heaven"), translated and produced under their personal supervision at The New Theatre, New York City. She was an Oriental scholar and her works dealt mainly with Chinese and Japanese themes. She was a member of the Académie Goncourt (1910–17).