Rudel retold (again)

Another treatment of the Rudel legend has popped up on Amazon. 

La Légende de Geoffroy Rudel, Prince de Blaye by Fernande Bourdeau Lhérisson was first published in 1933 by Société des Bibliophiles de Guyenne. This slim volume also includes Alfred Jeanroy’s edition of the surviving Rudel songs. 

There's very little info on the author: the only other traceable work by Lhérisson is a book about the convicted murderess Marie Lafarge. 

Four equestrian princesses

It seems that Rostand's reach extended to the animal kingdom: according to the Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database, there have been four thoroughbred horses named 'Princesse Lointaine'.

The first is recorded in 1902 (which makes sense given the date of the Rostand production); others in 1941 and 1963, with a fourth sometime around 1954.

Jaufré, by George

Here's another indication of how Rostand's La Princesse Lointaine spread the Rudel legend more widely by influencing the visual arts. Besides the work by Mucha, Erté, and Vrubel, there were also illustrations by a famous-ish English artist.

George Sheringham (1884-1937) was best known as a stage designer, but he also illustrated books by the likes of Max Beerbohm, Arthur Conan Doyle, Cyrus MacMillan, and - it so happens - Edmond Rostand. 

This edition of La Princesse Lointaine was published in 1919 and featured 26 illustrations by Sheringham. It was a limited run of 100 copies and was printed by J. Meynial, 'Aux dépens d'un Amateur' named Eugène Renevey.

Sheringham was evidently well qualified to take on the Rudel legend: he spent the final five years of his life as an invalid, though not from pining for an idealised woman, lointaine or otherwise. 

The edition sometimes comes up on rare book websites (from where I sourced most of the pics).