Details

Name

Elisa Sosset

Occupation

Maid; confidante

Description

Elisa Sosset is part of the provenance/ownership history of Sir William Burrell's collection for the work entitled 'Portrait of a Woman' by Édouard Manet. She was the maid and confidante of Manet's mistress and friend, Méry Laurent. When Manet was mortally ill, Méry Laurent sent Elisa to his apartment with bunches of flowers for him to paint. Manet mentioned that he was always diverted and amused by her presence.

When Méry Laurent made her will, she not only left Elisa a large financial settlement and the furniture from the rue de Rome apartment, but she also appointed Elisa as a 'légatoire universelle', and entrusted her with ensuring that Méry's 'bel-ami', Stéphane Mallarmé, was to receive all of the works she owned by Manet in her rue de Rome home. The last sentence in Méry Laurent's second will, addressed to her lawyer 'Je vous recommande Elisa particulièrement' – 'I recommend Elisa particularly.'