The legs of Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione (18371899), by Pierre-Louis Pierson, c1861/67 (Photo: Wikimedia) But photography is the true legacy of La Castiglione's life. Critics have noted how morbid her late period images are, with the countess doing things like placing herself inside a coffin and posing with the body of her late terrier pup. Dead Woman in the Bathtub: Why Are We So Fascinated by Ophelia's Suicide. 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. ", In La Divine Comtesse, a book exploring the Countess' social and cultural legacy, curator Pierre Apraxine writes that art critics have long overlooked the Countess' body of work, mistakenly considering it trivial. comtesse de Castiglione (1837-1899)' photo de 1895 coloristation d'apres Pierre-Louis Pierson. All Rights Reserved. As one of her contemporaries put it more sharply, After a few momentsshe began to get on your nerves. But then the Countess took the feud to the next level. But for all this praise, not everyone was as enamored. 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. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. The dress, while dotted with hearts, was almost entirely see-through, and the good old countess wasnt wearing a corset. Creepily enough, her parents were totally fine with thisin fact, they took advantage of it in the worst way possible. Some of the images are sumptuous and witty. Thanks for your help! Well, today we're going to talk about the woman considered the queen of selfies and a true pioneer of photography in general. The Countess of Castiglione is one of the most bewildering woman known to history. In her later years the Countess removed all mirrors from her apartment, refusing to watch her beauty decay. The Countess of Castiglione in a photo by Pierre-Louis Pierson (c. 1863-66). Ive had a thing for the real-life Virginia Oldoini, The Countess of Castiglione (1837-1899) for a loooong time now. She had many lovers, including a banker of the Rothschild family and the then director of the Louvre Museum.[2]. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. You might call her the Godmother of the staged Surrealist selfie. Italian Virginia Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, here photo by Pierre-Louis Pierson with gouache. The countess infamously snapped pictures that exposed her bare feet and legs. See more ideas about countess, vintage photos, vintage photography. 4,500. Do you ever watch movies in languages you cant understand? Her parents were the Marquis of Filippo Oldoini and the Marquise of Isabella Lamporecchi, who belonged to the Tuscan nobility. She revealed miles of porcelain legs and decorated her exposed toes with golden rings. In her own writings, she refers to herself in the third person. The swing pic may refer to this painting by Fragonard? Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, conceivably in part due to the influence that the Countess had exerted on Napoleon III. InParisfor a delicate worldly-diplomatic mission, entrusted by her cousinCount of Cavourto the court of Napoleon III, the beautiful Virginia Oldoini (known as Countess of Castiglione), meets a young Mazzinian carbonaro (an ancient flame of hers), contrary to Cavourian politics. 5 The Countess and Her Inamorato. To enable personalized advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. But whether the relationship was for business or pleasure, it nonetheless helped the Countess establish an immediate reputation. Some scholars argue that the Countess of Castiglione wasnt just the first model of our timeshe was also the first supermodel too. Virginia Oldoini Verasis, countess di Castiglione, (born March 22, 1835, Florence, duchy of Tuscany [Italy]died Nov. 28, 1899, Paris, France), Tuscan noblewoman who occupied a predominant position in the courts of both Turin and Paris and influenced Franco-Italian political relations. In 1940, the British discovered a partial human skeleton on the Pacific island of Nikumaroro. The Countess is also depicted in Alexander Chee's novel The Queen of the Night. Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, is an unscrupulous and beautiful woman, in love with Andrea Pieri, a patriot | dHNfTkRzWV9WWDB3c2M. The Countess of Castiglione began life as Virginia Oldoini, a celebrated beauty and a member of the minor nobility in Florence, Tuscany. Try using a different browser or disabling ad blockers. 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. Log in. [4] She was described as having long, wavy blonde hair, a fair complexion, a delicate oval face, and eyes that constantly changed colour from green to an extraordinary blue-violet. understated; she did everything from choosing the camera angle to painting the photographs herself. He asked the countess to go to France and convince Napoleon to join their side. Behind her sits a child, his face blurred and ghostly mid-motion. Countess de Castiglione, from Srie des Roses, 1895 | Public Domain. Virginia Oldoini was born into a noble family in 1837, in Florence,Tuscany. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Soldier Boy Confronts Crimson Countess The Boys Clip Prime Video. 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. On March 22, 1837, the Countess was born into her very own gilded, velvet world. La Contessa descended into madness, stemming from her undying self-obsession and Narcissism. The countesss totally unbiased response? She was titled La divina Contessa literally translating to The Divine Countess for her beauty and charm. In case its not clear yet, the Countess of Castiglione wasnt a girls girl. La comtesse de Castiglione - Passy, 1861-1867. The film portrays the life of the nineteenth-century Italian aristocrat Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, best known as the lover of Napoleon III of France. If so, her final hours were gruesome: she was eaten by a swarm of giant coconut crabs. Although their relationship was technically collaborative, the Countess held all the cards: meticulously dictating the costumes, the sets, the scenes, and the ways in which images should be painted and embellished afterwards (some were given to the artist Aquilin Schad to overlay with gouache, while others she scribbled on herself). I dont know Spanish more than some numbers and a handful of words to order deli items. Does Fragonards painting have the same subtext? He served in a political role as a minister of the King of Sardinia, who desired the unification of Italy. From 1856 to 1895, she sat for hundreds of photo-shoots. [Profile with Chignon, Large] (Countess Virginia Oldoini Verasis di Castiglione [18351899]) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 186163, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1855. He listened. Her birth name- Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoni, was as long as the legacy she left behind. . Visual content is copyrighted to its respective owners, and inclusion here is under fair use for criticism, comment, and news reporting purposes. Nice finds, Kendra. Genres Drama History. Hand-tinted photographs were regarded as both a luxury and a novelty. Some 90 works from a remarkable series of photographic portraits documenting the public life and private fantasies of a legendary 19th-century beauty go on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 19, 2000, in the exhibition "La Divine Comtesse," Photographs of the Countess de Castiglione. Oldoinis photograph was a warning shot to her estranged husband: In the portrait, the well-dressed countess was also holding a knife in her hand, half-hidden in the folds of her dress. . Along with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson, Virginia managed to take around 700 photographs of herself. She was renowned for her beauty, which helped take her life in a couple of interesting directions. Role. Sadly, as well see, she might have had a darker reason for this behavior. She paired with the imperial court photographers Mayer & Pierson from 1856 to 1895, utilizing the technology of painted photographs to craft multiple, sometimes conflicting, portraits of her nature. If you want to see more images of La Castiglione you should check it out. After her death, he collected 433 of her photographs, all of which entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 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. Whenever she wasnt perfectly satisfied with a photograph, shed use hand-painting to soften her unflattering angles and put herself in the best light. Running Time 1 hr 25 min. James Hyman Gallery. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Yeah, theres a reason why it became infamous. [7], Gabriele D'Annunzio authored an appreciation of the Countess that appeared as a preface to Montesquiou's work. Very sad. The Countess was a Narcissist, seeking attention and applause to the point where men found her to be a pain in the neck. When Francesco tried to claim custody of her only beloved son Giorgio, the Countess of Castiglione didnt take it lying down. This is the famous "Queen of Hearts" colorized photo of the Countess of Castiglione by Pierson. This major solo exhibition includes over fifty rare portraits of the Countess from . Possibly her most famous photo | Scherzo di Follia (Countess Virginia Oldoini Verasis di Castiglione [18351899]) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 186366, Metropolitan Museum of Art, La Comtesse de Castiglione (The eyes) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 18631866 via ArtNet. Her cousin, Camillo, Count of Cavour, was a minister of Victor Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia (that included also Piedmont, Val d'Aosta, Liguria and Savoy). Not surprising enough, the Countess took questionable pictures of herself, baring her legs and feet to the camera. James Hyman Gallery presented recently the very first London exhibition of one of the greatest figures in the history of photography, the Countess of Castiglione.. Linocut La Castiglione in the mirror. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. A series of photos show leafless trees as massive sculptural . 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 art, ignoring its traditional usage of simple portraiture. 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. Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. . Nevertheless, her allure and artistry came with a baggage, known to only a few. We know that the studio was luxurious; engravings show its salons, antechambers, vast porticos, enormous bay windows bathing the galleries with light. Virginia had successfully enticed the Emperor and became his mistress, much to the dissatisfaction of his wife, Empress Eugenie. In the summer of 2014, she published a book on 18th-century wig and hair styling. I would prefer a more historical and clothing accurate movie than the 1940s one and Im wondering since the countess was a supporter of the Italian Union did she know the Milanese Countess Maffei who was portrayed in the biopic series Verdi which had good costumes? View contact information for cast and crew. Well on the painting, the lady basically opens her legs so that her lover hidden in a bush can enjoy the view from below so yes, sex! Obsessed with her own image, the Countess de Castiglione was more than a mere narcissist. With Yvonne De Carlo, Georges Marchal, Paul Meurisse, Rossano Brazzi. . She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada. The Countess returned to Italy in 1857 when her affair with Napoleon III was over. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography. Some of the portraits were sent out in albums to friends and admirers, often as a signal of her favor. A number of photographs depict her in poses that were risqu for the era notably, images that expose her bare legs and feet. 20 Jan 2023 02:54:18 Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Seductive Facts About The Secret Lives Of Courtesans, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, Overheard Once, Forgotten Never: These Hurtful Comments Are Completely Brutal, Everyone Has A Limit: These Moments Made People Say Enough Is Enough, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, Frances Uncrowned Queen, These Jerks Had No Idea Who They Were Messing With. Most of the images they produced were of specific characters drawn from myth, art, literature, or the Bible, including Lady Macbeth, Anne Boleyn, the queen of Eritrea, Judith before beheading Holofernes, a nun, and even a corpse. On March 22, 1837, the Countess was born into her very own gilded, velvet world. She had been secretly entrusted with a significant mission: to persuade Emperor Napoleon III into agreeing on the unification of Italy. She died on November 28, 1899, at the age of sixty-two, and was buried at the Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. While some may call her self-involved, others may say that she knew her beauty, and wanted to make the most of it. Where Does Dust Come From, and Does it Have a Sinister Side? As the legacy she left behind November 28, 1899, at the age of sixty-two and... Secretly entrusted with a significant mission: to persuade Emperor Napoleon III into agreeing on Pacific! Parents were the Marquis of Filippo Oldoini and the Marquise of Isabella Lamporecchi, desired... Want to see more ideas about Countess, vintage photography La Castiglione should... Spy of french Emperor NapoleonIII, here photo by Pierre-Louis Pierson, Virginia managed to around. Love with Andrea Pieri, a patriot | dHNfTkRzWV9WWDB3c2M of our timeshe was also the first supermodel too 1940! 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