But unlike our pitiful selfies, Oldoini turned self-obsession into a cottage industryin fact, its what shes famous for today. 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 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. 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. Her adult life began when her beauty and noble blood allowed her to become the Countess da Castiglione through marriage to Francesco Verasis. View Etsys Privacy Policy. Her photographs werent just about the clothes she was wearing but also about who was wearing them, putting Oldoini up with the likes of Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. 4 A Vile Proposition. In fact, you may not need to picture it; you may have already seen the image. Ive had a thing for the real-life Virginia Oldoini, The Countess of Castiglione (1837-1899) for a loooong time now. It was also published on its own in 1973. I am of a different essence.". Creepily enough, her parents were totally fine with thisin fact, they took advantage of it in the worst way possible. (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 . Feb 22, 2015 - Explore Roderick Johnson's board "Countess of Castiglione", followed by 175 people on Pinterest. In 1871, things werent looking good for the Countess of Castiglione. Her ego was so grand that she usually refused to speak to women, regarding them as inferior to her beauty. Virginia gladly accepted the offer, with the condition of using any means necessary to lure the King. La Contessa descended into madness, stemming from her undying self-obsession and Narcissism. 1860. The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Suave Facts About Timothy Dalton, The Disappearing Bond, Suave Facts About Sean Connery, Hollywood Rogue, Mysterious Facts About Josephine Earp, The Mendacious Wild West Woman, Scandalous Facts About Antony Armstrong-Jones, The Earl Of Snowdon. I just gagged, and not in the good way. Instead, she sent her ex a present in the mail. I recently stumbled across this 1942 version starring Doris Duranti as the countess on YouTube (the other . This did not shake our Countess as she was content with her new venture. Most of the photographs depict the Countess in theatrical outfits, such as the Queen of Hearts dress. She was partly responsible for Italian unification due to the influence she had upon the Emperor. When he opened it, he was horrified. By that time, the Countess of Castiglione was as well-known for her detailed and decadent outfits as she was for her beauty. If there was one thing Virginia could not come to terms with, it had to be ageing. The countess was one of the first airbrushers. 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. Countess of Castiglione, c.1865 (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) Curiosities. 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. Before 1861, 55 portraits were made, of which 34 were by Pierson. 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. That photo of her on the swing looks like they were attempting a tableau of Fragonards 1767 painting, The Swing, or The Happy Accident. La Comtesse de Castiglione (The eyes) by Pierre-Louis Pierson, 1863-1866 via ArtNet. ", But Apraxine notes that the Countess' work anticipated several trends in contemporary art and feminist art in particular, prefiguring artists like Cindy Sherman, Claude Cahun, Gillian Wearing, Yasumasa Morimura, and Sophie Calle, all of whom used photography to explore the significance of dressing up, adopting appearances, and manipulating the means of being viewed by othersthough Apraxine cautions against viewing the Countess' work as feminist or a "conscious source of the pictorial innovations to follow. Count Franceso went with her, and everybody knows that a middle-aged husband can really cramp your courtesan style. In order to give you the best experience, we use cookies and similar technologies for performance, analytics, personalization, advertising, and to help our site function. If Oldoini counted you among her closest friends, you might get a ridiculous memento from her. She has bracelets on each wrist and hair partially pinned up, one ringlet trailing down her neck. 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. Get your fix of fascinating trivia in our 5-minute newsletter. A few of her admirers were fixated upon her beauty and art. She was a diplomat, an opportunistic fashion rebel and a pioneer in the self-constructed photographic image. Which makes the countess infamous act of revenge all the more savage. Obsessed with her own image, the Countess de Castiglione was more than a mere narcissist. In 1856 she began sitting for Mayer and Pierson, photographers favored by the imperial court. Dead Woman in the Bathtub: Why Are We So Fascinated by Ophelia's Suicide. You are leaving too early.. His devotion led him to confide in his cousin. A series of photos show leafless trees as massive sculptural . And that wasnt all. 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. IMDbPro See more details at IMDbPro. But photography is the true legacy of La Castigliones life. He asked the countess to go to France and convince Napoleon to join their side. It's oval-shaped, holding a partial reflection of her faceeyes, nose, the top of her lips. Her cousin, Camilo Benso, was a minister in the court of Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia. She had been secretly entrusted with a significant mission: to persuade Emperor Napoleon III into agreeing on the unification of Italy. 1 Born into Novelty. Pinterest. 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. 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. She died on November 28, 1899, at the age of sixty-two, and was buried at the Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Lets just say that the convincing Camillo had in mind wasnt the kind that involves long debates and dusty books, oh heck no. Her room was painted black, windows sealed and mirrors removed from every nook and cranny. Hand-painted photographs were a luxurious novelty at the time, so naturally Oldoini made the best use of them she could. From 1856 to 1895, the Countess di Castiglionea great beauty and shameless narcissistcollaborated with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson on more than 400 self-portraits. Italian Virgiana Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, holding an oval picture frame up to her eye,. But as she aged she grew more reclusive, living in a house without mirrors. 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 . The Countess Castiglione was a woman of multiple personalities -- Cleopatra crossed with Blanche Dubois. Emperor Napoleon didnt seem to mind that the countess came to his court as a married woman, and Castigliones mission went very well indeed. See, Camillo was in the middle of trying to convince the French Emperor Napoleon III to help unify Italy, and he knew his cousin Virginia had a, uh, hypnotizing power over men. 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. The poet and dandy Robert de Montesquiou was obsessed with her even when she was alive, and his ardor only grew. Thanks for your time! 14.01, 17.51 A number of photographs depict her in poses that were risqu for the era notably, images that expose her bare legs and feet. Whichever interpretation you prefer, it's probably a fitting one. She often hand painted over her photographs and directed her shots, to put forward her best angle, much like a supermodel. 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. Thanks for your help! At the peak of her Narcissism, she voluntarily modelled and took controversial pictures of herself. 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. Later, I came across her fancy dress photos via their exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was hooked and years later, I played her at the San Francisco Dickens Fair. Of all the relationships the Countess formed in Paris, the most significantand by far most enduringwas her relationship with the camera. Buzz Buddy. 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. In 1857, she separated from her husband, whom she had openly cheated on and bankrupted. Costume ball at the palace of Tuileries: Napoleon III and the Countess de Castiglione 1867, Carpeaux Jean Baptiste , Orsay Museum, France,. 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. The Countess was known for her beauty and her flamboyant entrances in elaborate dress at the imperial court. 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.". Virginia Oldoini, Countess Castiglione, was a voracious client of both couture and photography, acquiring fashion from the new maisons de couture of Worth and Pingat. In other words: Bed that boy, and fast. That wasp-waisted dress is the plaidest thing I have ever seen! Try using a different browser or disabling ad blockers. She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography.
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