Editing Émile Zola (section)

==Later life==
In 1862 Zola was naturalized as a French citizen.{{cn|date=March 2024}} In 1865, he met Éléonore-Alexandrine Meley, who called herself Gabrielle, a seamstress.<ref name="nom"/> They married on 31 May 1870.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Frederick |title=Zola: A Life |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux |isbn=0374297428 |page=195}}</ref> Together they cared for Zola's mother.<ref name=":0" /> She stayed with him all his life and was instrumental in promoting his work. The marriage remained childless. Alexandrine Zola had had a child before she met Zola that she had given up, because she had been unable to take care of it. When she confessed this to Zola after their marriage, they went looking for the girl, but she had died a short time after birth.

In 1888, he was given a camera, but he only began to use it in 1895 and attained a near professional level of expertise.<ref>{{Cite news |title=In Later Years, Zola Saw World Through a Camera |last=August |first=Marilyn |date=14 December 2000 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=F-8 |id={{ProQuest| }} }}}}</ref> Also in 1888, Alexandrine hired Jeanne Rozerot, a 21-year-old seamstress who was to live with them in their home in [[Médan]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Frederick |title=Zola: A Life |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux |isbn=0374297428 |pages=614, 615}}</ref> The 48-year-old Zola fell in love with Jeanne and fathered two children with her: Denise in 1889 and Jacques in 1891.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Frederick |title=Zola: A Life |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux |isbn=0374297428 |pages=646–648}}</ref> After Jeanne left Médan for Paris, Zola continued to support and visit her and their children. In November 1891 Alexandrine discovered the affair, but their marriage lasted until Zola's death.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-01 |title=Émile Zola {{!}} French Novelist, Naturalist & Journalist {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emile-Zola |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The discord was partially healed, which allowed Zola to take an increasingly active role in the lives of the children. After Zola's death, the children were given his name as their lawful surname.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Frederick |title=Zola: A Life |year=1995 |publisher=Farrar Straus Giroux |isbn=0374297428 |page=802}}</ref>