e position of queen of French society, which she held for
nearly half a century. The very name of Recamier has come to evoke a
vision of beauty, a beauty so well known to every lover of art who
has visited the Luxembourg and gazed upon the figure "so flexible
and elegant, with head well poised, brilliant complexion, little rosy
mouth with pearly teeth, black curling hair, soft expressive eyes, and
a bearing indicative of indolence and pride, yet with a face beaming
with good nature and sympathy." Her beauty has been considered
perfect, but a recent writer has proved this to be an error.
M.J. Turquan, in a new volume on Mme. Recamier, is everything but
sympathetic to the woman at whom criticism has rarely been pointed.
"Quite a contrast to her extraordinary beauty of face," he declares,
"were her hands, with big fingers square at the end and having flat
nails. The same may be said of her feet, which were not only big, but
were without the slightest trace of _finesse_ in their lines." But
though Turquan has raised numerous points in her disfavor, they
are not at all likely to detract from her unrivalled reputation for
beauty.

Critics have made of her a sort of enigmatic figure, supernatural
and having only the form of the human. Thus, in Lamartine we find the
following description: "The young girl was, they say, a _sous-entendu_
of nature: she could be a wife, she could not be a mother. These are
the two mysteries we must respect, but which we must know to have been
the secret of the entire life of Mme. Recamier--a mournful and eternal
enigma which will never have its words divined,... All her looks
produced an intoxication, but brought hope to no heart. The divine
statue had not descended from its pedestal for anyone, as though such
a performance would have been too divine for a mortal." Her beauty was
so marked, so singular, that wherever she appeared--at the ball, the
theatre--it caused a sensation; all turned to look at her and admire
in subdued astonishment. Her form was said to be marvellously
elegant and supple, her neck of an exquisite perfection, her mouth
"deliciously small and pink, her teeth veritable pearls set in
coral, her arms splendidly moulded, her eyes full of sweetness
and admiration, her nose most attractive in its regularity, her
physiognomy candid and spiritual, her air indolent and haughty, and
her attitude reserved. Before this ensemble, you remained in ecstasy."
All this beauty was particularly