Well, she did pay for the consequences of her nastiness. (20% off), Sale Price 4.68 Uh, not by any stretch of the imagination. 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. From 1856 to 1895, the Countess di Castiglionea great beauty and shameless narcissistcollaborated with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson on more than 400 self-portraits. This was in the early 2000s, so it was only recently that I looked it up on Wikipedia, and found my inference was actually pretty accurate given I had no idea what anyone was saying. My mom never told me how her best friend died. At the peak of her Narcissism, she voluntarily modelled and took controversial pictures of herself. In 1855, she had a brief affair with King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, who nicknamed her "Nini". Some of the portraits were sent out in albums to friends and admirers, often as a signal of her favor. She was, in a word, disgustingly vain. On one famous evening, Napoleon III was leaving as she was making her grand entrance, You are too late, he said. The Countess of Castiglione made her mark in very difficult times. But the most intriguing aspect of the image is one of its smallest components: the small hand-mirror this woman wields. Duly, she ignored the usual diplomatic routes and inveigled herself into prime position as the emperor's mistress. Playfulness? 10.25.2016 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment. Over the next four decades she directed Pierre-Louis Pierson to help her create 700 different photographs in which she re-created the signature moments of her life for the camera. Moreover, these rudimentary special effects could smooth, enhance, and flatter their subjects, transforming and elevating them. If you own the rights to content here and wish it removed, please contact us. The future countess was born Virginia Oldoini in 1837 in Florence; her father was a diplomat in what was . She often stood in the middle of the court, asking men to worship her like the goddess she was. Her name was Virginia Oldoini, and after marrying Count Francesco Verasis da Castiglione, she acquired the title that would make her famous: Countess of Castiglione. All thanks to him, the relic could finally be displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where she deserves to be. Would love your thoughts, please comment. (Looking back, that may possibly be why as a pre-teen I enjoyed the swings in the playground so much; I would have swung for hours if there hadnt always been someone else who wanted a go on them. Captcha failed to load. The Countess of Castiglione, Virginia Oldoni, or as she is better known, La Castiglione was an aristocrat born in Florence (Italy). She rarely left its walls (painted black, of course) during daylight hours. Original Price 17.51 [2], In 18561857, she entered the social circle of European royalty. Find out more in our Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy. On March 22, 1837, the Countess was born into her very own gilded, velvet world. She was an important figure to the history of photography during the 19th century. 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. Check out that AMAZEBALLS HAIR! [2] She married Francesco Verasis, Count of Castiglione, at the age of 17. The countesss totally unbiased response? La Dame de Coeurs, 1861-63. The Countess sure was bold. But unlike our pitiful selfies, Oldoini turned self-obsession into a cottage industryin fact, its what shes famous for today. 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. Though this might sound tame, these poses were so indecent by 19th-century standards, she had to crop out her face. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. The photograph, titled "Portrait in a Black Dress," is commonly assumed to be the first Pierson took of . Unfortunately, the story does not end well for this selfie beauty queen. She lost her charm and beauty and took ghastly and unnatural pictures of herself, posing in a coffin with her dead dog. But photography is the true legacy of La Castigliones life. The two women were exact opposites in many ways: Oldoini was liberal and fun-loving, while Eugenie was serious and devoted to her country. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'globalmarvels_com-box-4','ezslot_1',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-globalmarvels_com-box-4-0');The Countess had a number of noble social relations. The Contessa's Secret: Directed by Georges Combret. Count Camilo, was fixed with the ambition to unify Italy. [8], The Countess's life was depicted in a 1942 Italian film, The Countess of Castiglione,[9] and a 1954 Italian-French film, The Contessa's Secret, that starred Yvonne De Carlo.[10]. Plus, you know, there was the whole "other woman" thing. Italian Virginia Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, here photo by Pierre-Louis Pierson with gouache. Most tragically, this was not to be. The subject of the photoa woman named Virginia Oldoini, better known as the Countess of Castiglionesat for hundreds of haunting, strange photos over the course of 40 years, from 1856 to 1895, and the resulting body of work has intrigued people for generations. Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione and mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France photo by Pierre-Louise Pierson, c.1863-66 . Some of the images are sumptuous and witty. During her relationship with the French emperor, she met Augusta of Saxe-Weimar, Otto von Bismarck and Adolphe Thiers. dressed in a gorgeous gown and holding a knife in her hand, titled "La Venegance . Aaaaand Kendra starts shaking her head very, very sadly. 6 La Divina Contessa. Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. Library. Oldoini did not cope well with aging, and her insecurities soon took on deranged proportions. 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. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Okay this dressing gown just screams 1940s. Nah, you dont wanna do that. A pioneering model and a bounty of Narcissism , she took self love to a completely different tangent. That interaction revealed a wit that Napoleon III appreciated, but his attention was only fully captured when she appeared at a masked ball as a Decadent Roman Woman. Shapes, color and value, eye-catching visual impact on art. You cant very well go around calling your child a 30-syllable name, so it makes sense that Oldoinis parents dubbed their little girl Nicchia. Log in. In 1940, the British discovered a partial human skeleton on the Pacific island of Nikumaroro. Public collections can be seen by the public, including other shoppers, and may show up in recommendations and other places. She not only entered the ballroom with the emperor on her arm, she also did it while wearing a Queen of Hearts costume. Count Franceso went with her, and everybody knows that a middle-aged husband can really cramp your courtesan style. Copyright 2007-2020 Frock Flicks, Trystan L. Bass, Kendra Van Cleave, & Sarah Lorraine Goodman. Even after her tenure as a royal mistress, the countess played an important role in European politics. Visualizza altre idee su virginia, foto, croce di diamanti. Shes also an academic, with several articles on fashion history published in research journals. "Our separation is irrevocable," he wrote furiously, returning to Italy alone. This major solo exhibition includes over fifty rare portraits of the Countess from . The Countess is also depicted in Alexander Chee's novel The Queen of the Night. From 1856 to 1895, the Countess di Castiglionea great beauty and shameless narcissistcollaborated with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson on more than 400 self-portraits. She went back in 1861 and stayed for goodgetting into a lot more trouble in the meantime. Nevertheless, her allure and artistry came with a baggage, known to only a few. Go get em, girl. Either way, although she was widely talked about during her life, the portraits were mainly appreciated after her death, feeding into the legend developed by her avid admirers, including Robert de Montesquiou and the similarly eccentric Marchesa Luisa Casati. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? If Oldoini counted you among her closest friends, you might get a ridiculous memento from her. In an infamous event, the Countess, barely clad in a Queen of Hearts costume, made a statement in the court by entering the ballroom with the Emperor by her side, quite literally pretending to be the queen. And that's how she continues to exist: as an image, a face, a set of poses meticulously choreographed and endlessly marveled over. in her 18th century get-up, swinging as Napoleon, Eugenie, and the court look on, in what is clearly a metaphor for Ok I will shag this guy for Italy.. While some may call her self-involved, others may say that she knew her beauty, and wanted to make the most of it. The opulence of these ladies is over the top. After the death of her son, Giorgio who succumbed to smallpox, in 1879, she felt disgraced and refused to leave her house. Browse 343 countess of castiglione stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. She often hand painted over her photographs and directed her shots, to put forward her best angle, much like a supermodel. The studio specialized in hand-painted photography, an explosively popular technique. Genres Drama History. 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. Keep the snark flowing by supporting us with a small one-time donation on Ko-fi. She may have been persuasive because Paris was spared Prussian occupation.[5]. She would leave the apartment only at night. But whether the relationship was for business or pleasure, it nonetheless helped the Countess establish an immediate reputation. The Countess of Castiglione, a ravishing Italian aristocrat living in 19th-century Paris, both captivated and . Vintage Photography. I just gagged, and not in the good way. 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 . Oldoini doted on the boy as only a rich mommy can, pouring all her own frustrated hopes and dreams into him. I forget where I read that the centrifugal force generated by the action of a swing creates pressure on the female genital organs, and therefore mildly stimulates them. In 1871, just after the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War, she was called to a secret meeting with Otto von Bismarck to explain to him how the German occupation of Paris could be fatal to his interests. I saw that exhibition at the Met! After learning about her expensive taste in men and attire, both not quite hidden,The Count of Castiglione divorced his wife in 1857, which did not come as a surprise to her. He asked the countess to go to France and convince Napoleon to join their side. Rest in peace, you OG diva. She was noted for her fair complexion, delicate oval face, long blonde hair, and eyes that changed color from blue-violet to green. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Her memoirs reveal some disturbing and embarrassing details. In 1855, their only son, Giorgio, was . Genealogy profile for Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione. She also insisted on photographing him constantly, pulling him into many of her projects and often making him serve as her stand-in when she set up shots. All eyes were on her whenever she entered a room, and her costumes were the talk of the court. Her last years were eccentric, but as in most of her endeavors, her youthful beauty drove her decisions. Eugenie reportedly found a way to waltz over to the barely-dressed countess. Her interests include the European Renaissance, popular culture, and Internet history. Her adult life began when her beauty and noble blood allowed her to become the Countess da Castiglione through marriage to Francesco Verasis. She seems to have made being beautiful the cornerstone of her identity and so was unable to cope when she began to age, though she remained a fine looking woman she no longer matched her self image. As an older woman robbed of the beauty that defined her, La Castiglione left the world quietly, in isolation and in darkness. All rights reserved. The Countess was a Narcissist, seeking attention and applause to the point where men found her to be a pain in the neck. He left for Italy, leaving his Countess engaging in her newly found hobby in France. Born Virginie Oldoini in 1837, this Italian worman coming from Tuscan nobility married Franois Verasis, Count of Castiglione, in 1854. Role. "Fatal Opal, Curse of Spain's Court". She was renowned for her beauty, which helped take her life in a couple of interesting directions. Her level of control over these projects cannot be. Kendra is a librarian at a university, specializing in history and fashion. 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. Virginia Oldoiniknown better to history as the Countess of Castiglionewas mad, bad, and dangerous to know. She was a diplomat, an opportunistic fashion rebel and a pioneer in the self-constructed photographic image. She sought to emulate her life, both as she lived it and as she imagined it. Some scholars argue that the Countess of Castiglione wasnt just the first model of our timeshe was also the first supermodel too. By Kendra on November 7, 2019 in Nineteenth Century. Read more: Maria Rasputin: The Fascinating Life of the Mad Monks Daughter. Growing up, it was clear to everyone who knew the girl that the young Oldoini was going to be a mega babe. Unable to confront her fading looks, the middle-aged countess insisted on spending her final years in black-colored rooms with closed blinds and no mirrors. Her cousin Camillo Benso was even a minister for the King of Sardinia. Right before her arranged marriage to the older count, Oldoini sowed her wild oats, and then some. The Countess was a rebel, she did not conform to the traditional roles of a woman and a wife, as it was expected of her and did what she pleased. ), Photographs, Pierre-Louis Pierson (French, 1822-1913, Classic works modernized by Artotop with a splash of modernity. People called her beauty a miracle and named her as la divinia contessa. When he tried to gain full custody over their only son Giorgio not so subtly indicating her bitterness and disgust towards her ex-husband. Want to know more? Virginia was given into marriage at the age of 17, to Francesco Verasis, the Count of Castiglione in 1854, hence becoming the Countess at the prime of her life. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. That same year, she returned to France and settled in Passy. Costuming La Castiglione would be one time that the infamous I want to show my tits meme would be appropriate. Whichever interpretation you prefer, it's probably a fitting one. Read more: Marie Antoinette Syndrome: Overnight Highlights! Browse 343 countess of castiglione stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Ignored by her father, she was educated by her grandfather Ranieri Lamporecchi. September 14, 2020. Being a fashion showstopper, she was an icon and the talk of the town. Virginia Oldoini was born into a noble family in 1837, in Florence,Tuscany. According to reports from the time, they were constantly changing from green to a brilliant blue-violet. The Countess of Castiglione in collaboration with Pierre-Louis Pierson. . 1:53. However, she left a legacy behind for 19th-century women to break conventional chains. Finally we catch back up to the countess in her OH MY GOD THAT HAIR IS SO FABULOUS period: Theres a bunch of scenes of her in 18th century fancy dress where shes clearly deciding whether she can stomach taking one for the team with Napoleon III: They go with a very Madame du Barry look., Which isnt spot on, but isnt totally unlike her 18th century-inspired fancy dress | Mathilde (Countess of Castiglione) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 1860s,Metropolitan Museum of Art. Looking for countess castiglione online in India? 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 countess was one of the first airbrushers. View Etsys Privacy Policy. 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. Hey, you think a face that beautiful comes for free? 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. She would later influence politics again when she was called to Otto von Bismarcks side in a successful attempt to discourage his armies from occupying Paris. He served in a political role as a minister of the King of Sardinia, who desired the unification of Italy. It was also published on its own in 1973. The Oldoini cousins couldnt have picked a better mark than Napoleon III. Want to know more interesting facts? She was partly responsible for Italian unification due to the influence she had upon the Emperor. Sign up for our newsletter. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? ", For More Stories Like This, Sign Up for Our Newsletter. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Robert de Montesquiou, a Symbolist poet, dandy, and avid art collector, was fascinated by the Countess di Castiglione. Ive had a thing for the real-life Virginia Oldoini, The Countess of Castiglione (1837-1899) for a loooong time now. Plus, you know, there was the whole other woman thing. If so, her final hours were gruesome: she was eaten by a swarm of giant coconut crabs. As Napoleon IIIs mistress, La Castiglione certainly influenced his views on Italyand she reported those conversations to the men who set this task for her. Over fifty rare portraits of the town France photo by Pierre-Louise Pierson, c.1863-66 been persuasive because was. Peak of her endeavors, her youthful beauty drove her decisions full custody their! A brilliant blue-violet Franois Verasis, count of Castiglione, at the peak her! 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