Visual content is copyrighted to its respective owners, and inclusion here is under fair use for criticism, comment, and news reporting purposes. She titled the photo La Venegance, just to make her message extra clear. Its said that she expected to be admired by those who shared her company, and that her conversation was often grating, as it centered around herself and her needs exclusively. Knowing that Napoleon III was easy to seduce, he begged the Countess of Castiglione to plead the case for Italian unification to the emperor. Once there, she looked the courtesan up and down before sniffing, The heart is a little low, madam. The reasons for her sudden fall from grace remain a private mystery. Count Camilo, was fixed with the ambition to unify Italy. 3 A Scurvy Expedition. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography . She was titled La divina Contessa literally translating to The Divine Countess for her beauty and charm. All Rights Reserved. Aaaaand Kendra starts shaking her head very, very sadly. After the death of her son, Giorgio who succumbed to smallpox, in 1879, she felt disgraced and refused to leave her house. Prim, proper, and dutiful Eugenie had to suffer in contempt when she got the full view of the Countess of Castigliones costumeand I do mean the full view. Captcha failed to load. The countess may have had a mystical hold over menbut her allure had one major flaw. She was born in 1837 to an aristocratic family in La . We know that the studio was luxurious; engravings show its salons, antechambers, vast porticos, enormous bay windows bathing the galleries with light. (20% off), Sale Price 4.68 Commissioned by the countess herself and created under her supervision, the images more . She only ventured out of her gloomy residence at night-time, covering herself from head to toe in a black gown, and a veil over her face, ashamed of anyone getting a glimpse of her destitute state. Plus, you know, there was the whole "other woman" thing. Before 1861, 55 portraits were made, of which 34 were by Pierson. With Yvonne De Carlo, Georges Marchal, Paul Meurisse, Rossano Brazzi. I recently stumbled across this 1942 version starring Doris Duranti as the countess on YouTube (the other . Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione and mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France photo by Pierre-Louise Pierson, c.1863-66 . Browse 343 countess of castiglione stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. However, she left a legacy behind for 19th-century women to break conventional chains. Some of the images are sumptuous and witty. (originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct 1898) A few superstitious Spaniards believe that the long series of misfortunes that has befallen Spain and . She was a diplomat, an opportunistic fashion rebel and a pioneer in the self-constructed photographic image. Though most of the 700+ photos depicted her wearing her singularly extravagant outfits, some photos were salacious for the time, depicting her naked legs and feet. She was partly responsible for Italian unification due to the influence she had upon the Emperor. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? In 1879, little Giorgio passed from smallpox, predeceasing his utterly bereft mother by a cruel 20 years. In creating these photographs, the Countess cemented her place as a divine, unearthly beauty with a unique visual imprint on the royal courts and anyone knowledgeable about photography. "La contessa di Castiglione in una prosa di D'Annunzio" (Rome, 1973), Mario Vecchioni, ed. The Countess of Castiglione began life as Virginia Oldoini, a celebrated beauty and a member of the minor nobility in Florence, Tuscany. But in the end, she would only be his mistress for less than a year, limiting her ability to manipulate him. Yeah, theres a reason why it became infamous. She went back in 1861 and stayed for goodgetting into a lot more trouble in the meantime. Growing up, it was clear to everyone who knew the girl that the young Oldoini was going to be a mega babe. They made her out to be some sort of gigantic narcissist who only posed for photographs. Her room was painted black, windows sealed and mirrors removed from every nook and cranny. Sep 10, 2013 - The 19th-century Italian aristocrat, better known as as La Castiglione, was an iconic model, muse, mistress, narcissist, and queen of drama. Uh, not by any stretch of the imagination. Check out that AMAZEBALLS HAIR! She was no mere muse or passive model, however: The Countess obsessively and fastidiously art directed each photo, sometimes even choosing the camera angle or painting over the printed images herself. HardtIllustrations. "Our separation is irrevocable," he wrote furiously, returning to Italy alone. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography. He asked Virginia to travel to Paris and convince Napoleon the III to be their aide in the unification of Italy. Nice finds, Kendra. He was twelve years her senior. Okay this dressing gown just screams 1940s. As an older woman robbed of the beauty that defined her, La Castiglione left the world quietly, in isolation and in darkness. These portraits helped to shape her very deliberate, highly controlled public personaone that irked plenty of her peers. She sought to emulate her life, both as she lived it and as she imagined it. In fact, you may not need to picture it; you may have already seen the image. . A series of photos show leafless trees as massive sculptural . Hence she was popularly known by her nickname Nicchia, meaning niche in Italian, a name quite fitting for an ornamental woman. Or something else entirely? Suddenly, her regime of funereal black rooms, veils, and never leaving the house makes tragic sense. Nevertheless, her allure and artistry came with a baggage, known to only a few. Her ego was so grand that she usually refused to speak to women, regarding them as inferior to her beauty. Atget would record the soul of the city. Others claim that they were largely a private collectionrarely circulated, and never used to commercial ends. You are leaving too early.. Hand-tinted photographs were regarded as both a luxury and a novelty. On one occasion, she boldly appeared at a ball on the emperor's arm, dressed as the Queen of Heartsprompting the empress to angrily quip, "The heart is a bit low, Madame.". 2023 Getty Images. [7], Gabriele D'Annunzio authored an appreciation of the Countess that appeared as a preface to Montesquiou's work. By Pierre-Louis Pierson, albumen silver print from glass negative.In what became the introduction to their First Period (1856-1857) of work, Pierre-Louis Pierson photographed the Countess of Castiglione at his Mayer & Pierson studio in July of 1856. The Divine Countess faced a not so divine death in 1899. It was also published on its own in 1973. The Countess Castiglione was a woman of multiple personalities -- Cleopatra crossed with Blanche Dubois. It was a short-lived affair, lasting less than a year. In 1857, barely a year after the well-heeled couple traveled to Paris, Count Francesco left court for his native Italy in a huff, leaving his young, impressionable wife behind. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Giorgio Verasis di Castiglione (1855-1879) Virginia Oldoni Rapallini, Countess of Castiglione (22 March 1837 - 28 November 1899), better known as La Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat who achieved notoriety as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. Must find out. It holds just the right amount of intrigue with its arrangement of material and mirrors, as well as its ambiguous message: Vanity? It wasnt all disreputable behavior in the court of Napoleon III, and the countesss proximity to the emperor threw her into the paths of some of the most important figures in Europe at the time, including legendary German statesman Otto von Bismarck, who was like Angela Merkel before Angela Merkel was cool. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. that it may have belonged to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. Contents hide. Listen, girls know how to get things done. A Collection of Vintage Photos featuring the Countess de Castiglione (La Divine Comtesse) Posted by Embla on October 24, 2019 Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione (1837 - 1899), better known as La Castiglione , was an Italian aristocrat who was a special agent for the cause of Italian unification, the mistress of Napoleon III, and a . Want to know more? He spent thirteen years writing a biography, La Divine Comtesse, which appeared in 1913. As commented by Hundred Heroines historian Haley Drolet, 'In what is perhaps her most recognisable photograph, La comtesse de Castiglione (1865), Oldoni stares directly at the viewer through a small black frame. But for all this praise, not everyone was as enamored. Countess of Castiglione, c.1865 (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) Curiosities. She also produced many photographs of herself depicting famous women from the Bible, history, and mythology. After a lifetime of being camera ready, Oldoini passed on November 28, 1899. According to contemporaries she had a fabulous figure and wasnt shy about showing it off. Surprising almost no one, Oldoini wasnt afraid to be very risqu in her photographsbut her most scandalous photos were also her most bizarre. Robert de Montesquiou, a French poet, was once such Romeo so obsessed with his Juliet, that he collected 400 of her photographs. Thus, the Countess Castiglione was sent to Napoleon with instructions to obtain a Franco-Italian alliance, stipulating that if Austria made war, France would join with Italy in combat. Like many other significant society figures, she made her way to the Mayer-Pierson photographic studio on Boulevard de Capucine, which was helmed by imperial court photographer and daguerreotypist Pierre-Louis Pierson. Whenever she wasnt perfectly satisfied with a photograph, shed use hand-painting to soften her unflattering angles and put herself in the best light. skeleton on the Pacific island of Nikumaroro. She often stood in the middle of the court, asking men to worship her like the goddess she was. His devotion led him to confide in his cousin. DISCLAIMER: Frock Flicks claims no credit for images featured on this site unless noted. Unfortunately, the story does not end well for this selfie beauty queen. Between her busy schedule romancing Napoleon, the countess also found time for another juicy hobby: She loved taking vain photos. You might call her the Godmother of the staged Surrealist selfie. Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione (22 March 1837 - 28 November 1899), better known as La Castiglione, was born to an aristocratic family from La Spezia.She was a 19th-century Italian aristocrat who achieved notoriety as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. Obsessed with her own image, the Countess de Castiglione was more than a mere narcissist. The photograph, titled "Portrait in a Black Dress," is commonly assumed to be the first Pierson took of . Countess de Castiglione, from Srie des Roses, 1895 | Public Domain. She donned this title at the young age of 17, causing the men and women of the royal courts she subsequently frequented to know her primarily as La Castiglione. Italian Virgiana Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, holding an oval picture frame up to her eye,. Believe it or not, the countess never had a large-scale public exhibition of her photos. Instead, she sent her ex a present in the mail. After her death, he collected 433 of her photographs, all of which entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Virginia had friends in high places. La Comtesse de Castiglione (The eyes) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 1863-1866 via ArtNet. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. You can change your preferences any time in your Privacy Settings. They had a son, Giorgio. While there, she was granted a pension for her diplomatic accomplishments. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Virginia Oldoini was born into a noble family in 1837, in Florence,Tuscany. Guess what? Find Virginia Oldoini, Countess Of Castiglione stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Etsy uses cookies and similar technologies to give you a better experience, enabling things like: Detailed information can be found in Etsys Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy and our Privacy Policy. James Hyman Gallery. Her dress is hugevoluminous skirts trimmed with thick bands of lace. Right before her arranged marriage to the older count, Oldoini sowed her wild oats, and then some. She often hand painted over her photographs and directed her shots, to put forward her best angle, much like a supermodel. La Sultane - La Comtesse de Castiglione, 1865. Her adult life began when her beauty and noble blood allowed her to become the Countess da Castiglione through marriage to Francesco Verasis. Were always looking for your input! 11 - 15 May 2022. She not only entered the ballroom with the emperor on her arm, she also did it while wearing a Queen of Hearts costume. Her cousin, Camilo Benso, was a minister in the court of Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia. When she did leave, she would wear dark veils and only go out at night so she could cover all evidence of her shameful age. Keep the snark flowing by supporting us with a small one-time donation on Ko-fi. The Countess returned to Italy in 1857 when her affair with Napoleon III was over. Born Virginie Oldoini in 1837, this Italian worman coming from Tuscan nobility married Franois Verasis, Count of Castiglione, in 1854. Consistently earned 5-star reviews, shipped orders on time, and replied quickly to messages, Looks like you already have an account! This scandalous move of hers took the forum by surprise. James Hyman Gallery is delighted to return to Photo London and to present the very first London exhibition of one of the greatest figures in the history of photography, the Countess of Castiglione. Turns out that while Napoleon and the countess were very pleased with themselves, Francesco wasnt so ecstatic, and her bitter husband soon demanded a separation. Now, the problem with the Countess of Castiglione as a frock flicks subject is that the two main movies about her are in Italian, and hard to track down. In 1856 she began sitting for Mayer and Pierson, photographers favored by the imperial court. The Countess is also depicted in Alexander Chee's novel The Queen of the Night. (689) $5.95. He served in a political role as a minister of the King of Sardinia, who desired the unification of Italy. I saw that exhibition at the Met! Marie Antoinette Syndrome: Overnight Highlights! Now I know better. There is a French documentary currently on Amazon Prime, The Courtesans, that focuses on the rivalries of Virginia Oldoini, La Paiva Esther Lachmann, La Belle Agustina del Carmen Otero Iglesias, and Liane de Pougy. By shooting and painting hundreds of photos to perfection, she opened the door to using photography as a medium to tell stories and create emotionally affecting . Theres no doubt that the French court was initially obsessed with the countess, and she became the It Girl du jour. The meeting takes place precisely at the crucial moment of the countesss intrigues at the French court, and seeing her ancient love rekindles in her the passion never completely dormant. According to reports from the time, they were constantly changing from green to a brilliant blue-violet. By the time she gained notoriety as Napoleon IIIs mistress, she had bankrupted her husband, who pushed for an irrevocable marital separation due to her infidelity and insupportable spending habits.