The Countess de Castiglione was a rare creature indeed: a full-blown 19th-century narcissist with unlimited access to a camera. The Italian aristocrats legendary beauty and photographic misadventures turned her into the worlds first model, but thats not what made her infamous. But unlike our pitiful selfies, Oldoini turned self-obsession into a cottage industryin fact, its what shes famous for today. While many photos elevated her, her wardrobe, and the inventiveness of her spirit, other photosespecially those taken in her later yearswere unsettling or macabre. Lets just say that the convincing Camillo had in mind wasnt the kind that involves long debates and dusty books, oh heck no. In this fragment of a reflection, her gaze is steady, staring right down the camera lens. She titled the photo La Venegance, just to make her message extra clear. He spent thirteen years writing a biography, La Divine Comtesse, which appeared in 1913. 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. Feb 22, 2015 - Explore Roderick Johnson's board "Countess of Castiglione", followed by 175 people on Pinterest. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography. 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. The young girl reportedly embarked on a steamy affair with a hunky naval officer right before tying the knot, which suggests the soon-to-be notorious courtesan desired things beyond domestic bliss from the very beginning. From her bedroom exploits to her tragic downfall, the Countess of Castiglione is one historical figure worth knowing. Emotions through freedom of artworks in a contemporary way. With the fruits of her husbands fortune and her natural beauty, the Countess of Castiglione affected grandiose and eye-catching entrances. . Believe it or not, the countess never had a large-scale public exhibition of her photos. Sadly, as well see, she might have had a darker reason for this behavior. Courtiers were delighted with her flamboyant entrances to parties, and her costumes were always impeccable. The Countess of Castiglione is one of the most bewildering woman known to history. Genres Drama History. If there was one thing Virginia could not come to terms with, it had to be ageing. 7 The First Model. An image of the Countess with long hair and knife in her hand, titled "La Vengeance," was sent to her estranged husband when he attempted to gain custody of their child. She also recreated defining moments of her life, mythologizing her own story by documenting herself in dresses that had proved themselves especially admired or notorious, chief among them being her Queen of Hearts costume. The Countess of Castiglione was obsessed with her own beauty, and meticulously art directed hundreds of portraits of herself over the course of her life. In other words: Bed that boy, and fast. 1860. This sartorial talent even once allowed her to make a legendary statement. 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. Just a year after their marriage, in 1855, the Count and Countess travelled to Paris, to the court of Napoleon the III of France. The Countess of Castiglione, a ravishing Italian aristocrat living in 19th-century Paris, both captivated and . She was noted for her fair complexion, delicate oval face, long blonde hair, and eyes that changed color from blue-violet to green. Once there, she looked the courtesan up and down before sniffing, The heart is a little low, madam. Camillo encouraged seduction in no uncertain terms when he told her to succeed using any means necessary. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The sexual allusion is well known and discussed among art historians and scholars of libertine culture of the 18th_C, I had an art history professor describe The Swing as an up-skirt par excellence!. Being a fashion showstopper, she was an icon and the talk of the town. 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. This is the famous "Queen of Hearts" colorized photo of the Countess of Castiglione by Pierson. That same year, she returned to France and settled in Passy. In the end, the countess was true to herself, making it clear "I am not here for you. Directed and staged by the Countess, herself, and created in collaboration with the studio photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson . ; Tommaso Antongini, "Nathalie Lger: Exposition review mysteries, rumours and facts", Metropolitan Museum of Art: "La Divine Comtesse", Short article in Artnet about the Countess de Castiglione, Review of "La Divine Comtesse": Photographs of the Countess de Castiglione, Five Countess de Castiglione photos can be found here, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virginia_Oldoini,_Countess_of_Castiglione&oldid=1132953745, Photographic artist and supposed secret agent, Giorgio Verasis di Castiglione (18551879), Abigail Solomon-Godeau, "The Legs of the Countess," in, This page was last edited on 11 January 2023, at 13:44. She allegedly had an illicit love affair with a naval officer, right before the day of her marriage to the Count, tagging herself with an anarchist title. 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. He listened. King Napoleon III did not have a clean history when it came to being loyal to his wife. Translation: Your cleavage is showing, betch. It might seem ordinary for us today, however it was a grave act of shame for women in the 19th century. 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. Her level of control over these projects cannot be. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. So now Oldoini wasnt just a spy, she was a honeypot. Take full advantage of our site features by enabling JavaScript. 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. The altered image further suggests the client's intervention.. Ritrosetta 261287 . In the end, Oldoinis illicit dalliance with Napoleon III was as short-lived as it was tragic. Before you start screaming wtf victory rolls??! Four months of attention-grabbing stunts were required for her to become Napoleons mistress. Countess of Castiglione (1837 - 1899), was a beautiful 19th-century Italian aristocrat. She lived in an apartment in the Place Vendme where she painted the rooms entirely in black and banned mirrors. Sign up for our newsletter. She returned to Italy in 1857, appalled by her slowly wrinkling face, discolouration of her skin and losing the twinkle in her eye, which caught her lovers in a trance. But it only got worse. Great! Browse 337 countess of castiglione stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione ( 22 March 1837 - 28 November 1899 ), better known as La Castiglione, was an Italian courtesan and secret agent who achieved notoriety as a mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France. First, the fabric. You are leaving too early.. Some scholars argue that the Countess of Castiglione wasnt just the first model of our timeshe was also the first supermodel too. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. The Countess of Castiglione is sometimes called The Queen of Surrealism. Kendra has been a fixture in the online costuming world since the late 1990s. They'd posthumously be described by critics as more morbid, more disturbed, more deranged than her earlier work. Instead, she preferred to stand in the middle of the room and let men fawn over her as if she were a shrine. Her website, Dmod Couture, is one of the most well-known online resources for historical costumers. When the Countess bragged and showed off the many gifts the emperor gave her, these lapses in her discretion prompted the dissolution of their relationship. When her husband threatened to obtain custody of their child, she replied by sending him a photograph of herself in her Queen of Etruria costume, pointing a knife at the viewer. The use of most of her photos is unclear. ", For More Stories Like This, Sign Up for Our Newsletter. 1. Within her abode, the blinds were always drawn against the sunlight, and its rumored that she only left her home at night. She goes home and has some strained conversations with a man who I presume to be her husband. Wouldnt you know, she got custody of Giorgio for the rest of his life. Select from premium Virginia Oldoini, Countess Of Castiglione of the highest quality. Dead Woman in the Bathtub: Why Are We So Fascinated by Ophelia's Suicide. Italian Virgiana Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, holding an oval picture frame up to her eye,. When the auto-complete results are available, use the up and down arrows to review and Enter to select. We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Shes also an academic, with several articles on fashion history published in research journals. While she was lauded as Venus descended from Olympus, she was exceptionally self-absorbed. 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. As one of her contemporaries put it more sharply, After a few momentsshe began to get on your nerves. Please. Her cousin, Camilo Benso, was a minister in the court of Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia. 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. Ive had a thing for the real-life Virginia Oldoini, The Countess of Castiglione (1837-1899) for a loooong time now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpDoq0k649w. Most of the photographs depict the Countess in theatrical outfits, such as the Queen of Hearts dress. Uh, this didnt exactly go well for her. You might call her the Godmother of the staged Surrealist selfie. ), Yes, its found it. [11], The Countess of Castiglione in a photo by, Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoni Rapallini, Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. I dont think narcissist is the right word. Although the union gave Virginia the name we know her by today, it didnt give her a whole lot else. 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. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. She would leave the apartment only at night. As well see later, though, Francesco wasnt even done yet. All eyes were on her whenever she entered a room, and her costumes were the talk of the court. [Profile with Chignon, Large] (Countess Virginia Oldoini Verasis di Castiglione [18351899]) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 186163, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1855. She was, in a word, disgustingly vain. View contact information for cast and crew. So, I basically got about 1% of the dialogue, and very little of the story, so it was basically like watching a beautiful silent film. Were always looking for your input! . Once she even used this photographic art to communicate with others. You might call her the Godmother of the staged Surrealist selfie. "Her project, undermined by her shameless self-absorption, could not therefore be regarded as that of a true artist. Where Does Dust Come From, and Does it Have a Sinister Side? Despite her prickly nature, the Countess had rabid fans long after she passed. 5 The Countess and Her Inamorato. The Countess' story begins in the mid-19th century, when she was married off to an Italian count at age 17. This did not shake our Countess as she was content with her new venture. Read more: Marie Antoinette Syndrome: Overnight Highlights! All thanks to him, the relic could finally be displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where she deserves to be. She wished to set up an exhibit of her photographs at the Exposition Universelle (1900), though this did not happen. This major solo exhibition includes over fifty rare portraits of the Countess from . When he tried to gain full custody over their only son Giorgio not so subtly indicating her bitterness and disgust towards her ex-husband. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography. We want our readers to trust us. . If you own the rights to content here and wish it removed, please contact us. As her name implies, Oldoinis parents had big expectations for the little girlexpectations that would soon ruin her entire life. Of all the relationships the Countess formed in Paris, the most significantand by far most enduringwas her relationship with the camera. When the Count and Countess traveled to Paris in 1855, the Countess was under her cousin's instructions to plead the cause of Italian unity with Napoleon III of France. You know youve made it when someone compares you to a literal goddess. Italian Virginia Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, here photo by Pierre-Louis Pierson with gouache. The Divine Countess faced a not so divine death in 1899. understated; she did everything from choosing the camera angle to painting the photographs herself. George Frederic Watts painted her portrait in . Public collections can be seen by the public, including other shoppers, and may show up in recommendations and other places. Go get em, girl. [2] She married Francesco Verasis, Count of Castiglione, at the age of 17. Explore. You can change your preferences any time in your Privacy Settings. Well, she did pay for the consequences of her nastiness. This unique personality from the 19 th century is none other that of the Countess of Castiglione, whose own life merits a novel and whose art turned out to be quite extravagant. Reportedly, the Marquess Richard Seymour Conway once offered her 1 million francs for just 12 hours of her company. Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, conceivably in part due to the influence that the Countess had exerted on Napoleon III. Oldoini showed an eerie attachment to her only son Giorgio, but it didnt stop at doting. They do a scene in a dressmaking shop that is working on one of the countesss costumes: this is a really good approximation of a real costume she wore | La Frayeur (Countess of Castiglione) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 1861-64,Metropolitan Museum of Art, Her photos would frequently be painted over; the one above is obviously one step in the process to end at this finished image |La Frayeur (Countess of Castiglione) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 1861-64,Metropolitan Museum of Art, Also, this costume still exists at LACMA! Where she painted the rooms entirely in black and banned mirrors their only son Giorgio but!, is one of the town now Oldoini wasnt just a spy, was... The best of Getty images with our best-in-class digital asset management system illicit with! What shes famous for today the room and let men fawn over her as she... 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