THE ”BIBESCO PRINCESS” IDENTITY AND THE MODERN INTIMACY

In this article, I have argued that the reconsideration of Marta Bibescu'spersonality and, above all, her work should be reevaluated and placed within thezeitgeist of the modernism, involving concepts such as in-betweenness, fluidity, andintimacy in this reevaluation. The central theme of Marta Bibescu's writings concernswith the way in which the narrator/author performs his/her identity in a space fullof intimacy in which the Self constantly moves towards others. The writer placesherself in the context of her efforts to negotiate the connection between herbirthplace and her place of residence, to connect the public persona with the core ofthe self. In the case studies briefly discussed, the narrator in "Isvor..." and the voiceof the biographer in "The Destiny of Lord Thomson of Cardington..." move towardsthe deep self, whose profile emerges either from Romanian origins (Romania, the land of willows) or from the perfect connection with the loved one (Christopher Birdwood,Lord Thomson of Cardington). By means of a programmatic development of theEuropean supra-identity and her positioning as an active defender of the Romanianemancipation and national identity, Marta Bibescu belongs to the category of writerswho embrace modernist identity. Her work is largely based on the personaldirection imposed by her family and the social status in order to build an identitybetween the two cultures - Romanian and French. We consider the specificity of herliterary style, her favorite themes, her negotiation with the literature of the time, hercharacters, her stylistic devices etc. We have shown that, although the dialoguebetween Romanian and French culture was already well established during MartaBibescu's lifetime, her contribution to this continuum has not been included yet inthe Romanian canon. We believe that this writer's work needs to be repositionedwithin the national literary canon, considering her, along with other writers in exile,as an active mediator between the national literatures of Europe (after all, the"nymph of Europe" is a political trope of solidarity) as well as a perfect example oftransnational European culture. Her writings may serve as a reflection of thatinvisible, intimate bridge, not only between cultures, but also between historical andpolitical processes, designed to generate a biunivocal influence, beyond apparentinadequacies