Contemporary artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Vuillard and Valloton all portrayed Misia. Proust called her "a monument of history" and transfigured her complex personality into two female protagonists in A la recherche du temps perdu: the manipulative Madame Verdurin and her inseparable friend, Princesse Yourbeletieff.
Jean Cocteau devoted his Thomas l'lmposteur and Les Monstres sacrés to Misia, and she was good friends with Coco Chanel, bonding through the tragedies in their lives. Chanel and Misia travelled to the United States together, exploring the art scene and the nightlife. Amidst this extraordinary company, Misia carried herself with style, charm and wit.
Misia passed away in Paris in 1950. After a ceremony at the Polish church in Paris, where Coco Chanel paid her respects by lovingly preparing Misia’s body for the funeral, she was buried in the Cimetiere de Samoreau.
This blog post is a part of the Migration in the Arts and Sciences project, which explores how migration has shaped the arts, science and history of Europe.