Potential bibliography for an indepth reading of Mme Putiphar (1839):
Jules Claretie’s Introduction to the 1865 edition of Madame Putiphar (x)
Jules Janin, “Madame Putiphar”, Journal des Débats, 03/06/39 (original french) (@lafcadiosadventures’ english translation)
Potential sources used by Borel:
Étienne-Léon de Lamothe-Langon, Mémoires et souvenirs d’un pair de France (1829) (vol.1, vol.2)
Étienne-Léon de Lamothe-Langon, Mémoires de Madame la comtesse du Barry (1829-1830) (vol.1, vol.2, vol.3, vol.4, vol.5, vol.6) (english translation available on archive.org)
Nicole du Hausset, Mémoires de Mme du Hausset, femme de chambre de Mme de Pompadour (1824) (x): cited as a possible reference in the edition of Putiphar I own. English translation (thank you @lafcadiosadventures for digging it out)
Simon Nicolas Henri Linguet, Mémoires sur la Bastille (1783) (x): Brombert says it is almost certain that Borel read this book and used it as inspiration. It was an extremely popular book.
Thierry (lawyer), Le Despotisme dévoilé, ou Mémoires de Henri Masers de Latude, détenu pendant trente-cinq ans dans diverses prisons d’États, 1790 (x) (there exists a 1787 text which is apparently inaccurate and written by the marquis de Beaupoil, where he associates Latude’s escape from the Bastille with that of the abbé de Bucquoy, Latude disavowed it himself--couldn’t find a digitalised copy of it though). The same book also exists under the title Mémoires de Henri Masers de Latude, prisonnier pendant trente-cinq ans à la Bastille, à Vincennes, à Charenton et à Bicêtre (1835), also falsely attributed to Masers de Latude. (here’s the BnF catalogue with all the existing editions of the text, i don’t know exactly which one Borel would have read). a melodrama was also based on his life and premiered in 1834, and a movie with the same title was made in 1911.
Mémoires de Henri Masers de Latude, ancien ingénieur, 1793 (x): Latude’s causes of imprisonment inspired Fitz-Harris’s character: both were imprisoned on orders of Mme de Pompadour for having offended her in letters.
La Bastille dévoilée (1789) 3rd delivery (x): likely inspired Borel for the character of Phadruig Fitz-Whyte. The book discusses the abuses of justice and prison by analysing the cases of the prisoners interned at the bastille, one by one. (english translation of the excerpt regarding Whyte and the marquis de Sade).
Silvio Pellico, Le mie prigioni (1832) (x): the author narrates his 10 year imprisonment in various state prisons (1820-1830). Clearly a popular read at the time, exploited by multiple romantics and cited by Janin in his review of Putiphar in the Journal des Débats. (english translation). Three different french translations were published in between 1835 and 1838.
Pierre Jean Baptiste Nougaret, Histoire du donjon et du château de Vincennes, t. III (1814): attested source.
Arthur Young, Voyage en Irlande (1799) (french text) (original english A Tour in Ireland first published in 1780): cited as a reference in my edition of Putiphar
Antoine de Rambouillet de La Sablière, Madrigaux de Monsieur de La Sablière (1825), prefaced by Charles Nodier. The madrigal Putiphar sings is taken from this book. (french text)
William Hamilton, Letters Concerning the Northern Coast of the County of Antrim, 1790, pp. 120-126 (x). This excerpt contains the original text that served for Patrick’s so-called “song” he sings to Putiphar. It was then inserted in Arthur Young’s Tour In Ireland, before being translated into French by Charles Millon (Arthur Young, Voyage en Irlande, trad. Charles Millon, Cérioux & Moutardier, vol. 2, 1799, pp. 270-273) (x)
Edward Young, The Complaint And The Consolation, Or Night Thoughts (thank you @lafcadiosadventures for digging it out! here illustrated by Blake)
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Six voyages en Turquie, en Perse, et aux Indes, vol. IV (1676): Borel used it for the orientalist references in the Parc-aux-Cerfs.
Aubin-Louis Millin, Voyage dans les départements du midi de la France (1807): Borel probably got some of the info concerning the St. Marguerite island from here (x).
Joseph de Maistre, Soirées de Saint-Pétersbourg (1830), 2nd ed.: presented by Steinmetz as a very likely source on the question of God, and good and evil.
Bible, Genesis chapter 39; 1-23 (Joseph and Potiphar + Joseph in prison).
Dante Alighieri, La Divina Commedia, canti I and XXXIII. There are strong parallels with canto I in chapter 28, and canto 33 was a reference in 18th and 19th century prison literature).
J. P. Brissot, Théorie des lois criminelles, 1781, vol. 1
Adjacent readings:
Voltaire, Zadig (1747): questioning on the matter of providence and fate, and god’s role in all of it. Very orientalist too.
Voltaire, Candide (1759)
Sade, Philosophie dans le boudoir (1795) (x): a woman sexually initiates another woman.
Sade, Justine ou les malheurs de la vertu (1791)
Denis Diderot, Jacques le Fataliste (1785)
Denis Diderot, La Religieuse (1796) (thanks to @lafcadiosadventures for recommending it)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, La Nouvelle Héloïse (1761)
Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi sposi (1823, 1827, 1840)
Academic readings:
Jean C. Noël, Image de l’Irlande et des Irlandais dans la France de la Restauration (1989) (x)
Max Milner, L'Irlande du Lycanthrope. L'Irlande et les Irlandais dans Madame Putiphar (1994) (x)
Béatrice Didier, “Madame Putiphar”, roman sadien ? (1972) (x)
Jean-Luc Steinmetz, Les malheurs du récit (1972) (x) (credit to @lafcadiosadventures for digging these two out)
Jean-Luc Steinmetz, Pétrus Borel, un auteur provisoire (1986) (x)
Fernanda Almeida Lima, Libertinagem e homossexualidade em “Madame Putiphar” (1839), de Pétrus Borel, in Terra roxa e outras terras – Revista de Estudos Literários (vol. 18, 2010) (x)
Victor Brombert, The Romantic Prison (1976)
