174 - BAUDELAIRE (Charles), 1821–1867.

BAUDELAIRE (Charles), 1821–1867. Autograph letter signed “Charles” to his mother, Madame Aupick, undated [Paris, July 14, 1844], 1 p. 3/4 in-8, trace of a wax seal with a small resulting corner tear. A beautiful and significant letter to his mother discussing his literary plans and the family tensions that would lead to him being placed under judicial supervision. The poet thanks his mother for “writing me a note about Madame de Mirbel,” whom he will visit as soon as possible. “ [...] There’s no need for you to come see me for six days. I’m going to the National Guard detention center tonight. And I’m going to take this opportunity to work diligently on my book on painting, which is expected by the *Revue de Paris*.” He is referring here to *De la peinture moderne* (“On Modern Painting”), announced on the cover of the 1845 Salon but never completed. The 1846 Salon would incorporate its main content. “[...] I saw Mr. Ancelle. I’m convinced you won’t need such drastic measures to calm your frantic anxieties,” he concludes, referring here to the judicial council he is trying at all costs to avoid but which will be imposed on him against his will, due to his lifestyle, which is deemed extravagant (he was supporting Jeanne Duval). This letter is cited in the *Correspondance générale*, collected, classified, and annotated by Jacques Crépet, Volume I, No. 43, published by Conard, which documents the date of this letter based on a page torn from an admission register signed by Baudelaire and the prison warden. July 14, 1844, marked a decisive moment in Baudelaire’s life: his family gathered to decide to place him under judicial supervision, a decision officially announced the following September. Concerned that he would squander his father’s inheritance on a dandy’s lifestyle, his mother and stepfather, General Aupick, thus deprived him of the freedom to dispose of his assets as he saw fit. The notary Narcisse Ancelle was tasked with managing his assets and paying him a regular allowance. Throughout his life, Baudelaire would view this financial guardianship as a profound humiliation and an unbearable dependence, confining him to the role of the “Cursed Poet.”