In her biography, she explicitly described herself as The Eternal Father did not know what he was creating the day he sent her into the world.. understated; she did everything from choosing the camera angle to painting the photographs herself. The photographs,commissioned by the countess and created under her supervision,were both self-advertisement and self-expression as . 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. 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? According to contemporaries she had a fabulous figure and wasnt shy about showing it off. In her later years the Countess removed all mirrors from her apartment, refusing to watch her beauty decay. After teaming up with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson, Oldoini amassed over 700 19th-century selfies. . Unfortunately, acquiring so many exceptional dresses, capes, and headpieces required lavish spending. Ive had a thing for the real-life Virginia Oldoini, The Countess of Castiglione (1837-1899) for a loooong time now. Thanks for your time! She was notoriously obsessive about this aspect of her work, repositioning the camera with persnickety precision when she didnt like what she saw. Now, the problem is the film is in Italian without any English subtitles, and my knowledge of Italian is limited to ordering food and booking hotel rooms. Imperial Court. She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada. She Was Born Into Privilege. Genres Drama History. 1:53. Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione and mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France photo by Pierre-Louise Pierson, c.1863-66 . Almost as soon as she set foot in Paris, Oldoini was notorious as Napoleons mistress, and she took no trouble to hide the affair. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. She was a pioneer of a new artistic medium who also happened to be an emperor's open-secret fuck buddy. 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. The film starts with the countess in her prime, at the opera, where everyone is dying over how gorgeous she is with good reason: Shes all stunning white with a giant hoop, and nobody can take their eyes off her. 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. Do you ever watch movies in languages you cant understand? 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. Her memoirs reveal some disturbing and embarrassing details. She died on November 28, 1899, at the age of sixty-two, and was buried at the Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. The Countess was known for her beauty and her flamboyant entrances in elaborate dress at the imperial court. Detail, Louis Pierson's photographic portrait of the Countess of Castiglione, ca. In 1879, little Giorgio passed from smallpox, predeceasing his utterly bereft mother by a cruel 20 years. Despite her prickly nature, the Countess had rabid fans long after she passed. "Fatal Opal, Curse of Spain's Court". The Divine Countess faced a not so divine death in 1899.   France   |   English (US)   |   (EUR), remembering account, browser, and regional preferences, remembering privacy and security settings, personalized search, content, and recommendations, helping sellers understand their audience, showing relevant, targeted ads on and off Etsy, remember your login, general, and regional preferences, personalize content, search, recommendations, and offers. 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. La Castiglione lived and died for beauty, but her inner beauty wasnt up to the standards implied by her physical assets. 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 cousin, Camilo Benso, was a minister in the court of Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia. Were always looking for your input! Uh, this didnt exactly go well for her. 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. Marie Antoinette Syndrome: Overnight Highlights! 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. Portrait Photography. "The Countess, who was perceived as a disturbing character whose motives were unclear, was understood to have taken up photography merely to satisfy her narcissism," he argues. Toward the end of her life, following a hiatus of some twenty-five years, the Countess da Castiglione resumed her sessions with Pierson. One day, Napoleon was hosting yet another lavish ball, and the countess took the opportunity to flex her power. Glamorous, with an emphasis on form and fashion, the images were among the first of their kind. But for all this praise, not everyone was as enamored. She rarely left its walls (painted black, of course) during daylight hours. 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. She was . It was a short-lived affair, lasting less than a year. While there, she was granted a pension for her diplomatic accomplishments. Nice finds, Kendra. I saw that exhibition at the Met! Filmmakers. 2023 Getty Images. The Italian aristocrats legendary beauty and photographic misadventures turned her into the worlds first model, but thats not what made her infamous. Right before her arranged marriage to the older count, Oldoini sowed her wild oats, and then some. dressed in a gorgeous gown and holding a knife in her hand, titled "La Venegance . She was also a significant figure in the early history of photography. This sartorial talent even once allowed her to make a legendary statement. Once there, she looked the courtesan up and down before sniffing, The heart is a little low, madam. Dead Woman in the Bathtub: Why Are We So Fascinated by Ophelia's Suicide. At the pinnacle of her self love journey, Virginia sent out her portraits to friends and acquaintances in the form of albums, duly autographed as a sign of her abounding favour towards them (which was obviously unasked for). 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. 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. But whether the relationship was for business or pleasure, it nonetheless helped the Countess establish an immediate reputation. Set where you live, what language you speak, and the currency you use. 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. Get your fix of fascinating trivia in our 5-minute newsletter. Count Camilo, was fixed with the ambition to unify Italy. Great! Others are disquieting. Artist Pierre-Louis Pierson. 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). Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Plus, you know, there was the whole "other woman" thing. In 1855, she had a brief affair with King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, who nicknamed her "Nini". Read more: Maria Rasputin: The Fascinating Life of the Mad Monks Daughter. Another wrote that, at gatherings, she would "allow people to her admire her as if she were a shrine She almost never spoke to women. Well, she did pay for the consequences of her nastiness. Copyright 2007-2020 Frock Flicks, Trystan L. Bass, Kendra Van Cleave, & Sarah Lorraine Goodman. Whenever she wasnt perfectly satisfied with a photograph, shed use hand-painting to soften her unflattering angles and put herself in the best light. My mom never told me how her best friend died. The opulence of these ladies is over the top. 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. 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. The Countess of Castiglione had no love lost for Empress Eugenie, Napoleons wife. From 1856 to 1895, the Countess di Castiglionea great beauty and shameless narcissistcollaborated with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson on more than 400 self-portraits. By Kendra on November 7, 2019 in Nineteenth Century. 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. Read more: Dead Woman in the Bathtub: Why Are We So Fascinated by Ophelia's Suicide? 4.68, 6.20 Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoni Rapallini (French: Virginie lisabeth Louise Charlotte Antoinette Thrse Marie Oldoni) was born on 22 March 1837 in Florence, Tuscany to Marquis Filippo Oldoni Rapallini and Isabella Lamporecchi, members of the minor Tuscan nobility; she was often known by her nickname of "Nicchia". Find Countess Of Castiglione stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions. But photography is the true legacy of La Castigliones life. (689) $5.95. "Our separation is irrevocable," he wrote furiously, returning to Italy alone. Browse 343 countess of castiglione stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. She spent a large part of her personal fortune and even went into debt to execute this project. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. Name : Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria OldoniBirth : 22 March 1837Death : 28 November 1899Title :The Countess of CastiglioneHusband : Francesco VerasisChildren : Giorgio Verasis di Castiglione. Copyright Odd Feed 2023. According to reports from the time, they were constantly changing from green to a brilliant blue-violet. 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. Camilo was abreast of the mesmerising effect Virginia had on men and hence he pleaded with the Countess to join hands with him. The daughter of Tuscan nobles, her birth name wasdeep breath for thisVirginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoini. Those partners may have their own information theyve collected about you. Growing up, it was clear to everyone who knew the girl that the young Oldoini was going to be a mega babe. Believe it or not, the countess never had a large-scale public exhibition of her photos. Her last years were eccentric, but as in most of her endeavors, her youthful beauty drove her decisions. Italian Virgiana Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, holding an oval picture frame up to her eye,. Most tragically, this was not to be. Married in 1854 to Count Francesco Verasis di Castiglione, who was attached to the court of King Victor . Even after her tenure as a royal mistress, the countess played an important role in European politics. Giorgio, in turn, adored her. Sadly, as well see, she might have had a darker reason for this behavior. Shes also an academic, with several articles on fashion history published in research journals. You might call her the Godmother of the staged Surrealist selfie. 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.. 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. 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. The studio specialized in hand-painted photography, an explosively popular technique. A series of photos show leafless trees as massive sculptural . When he opened it, he was horrified. If you own the rights to content here and wish it removed, please contact us. In fact, you may not need to picture it; you may have already seen the image. Theres an unfortunately LONG TIME spent in this questionably costumed/haired period: 1. Consistently earned 5-star reviews, shipped orders on time, and replied quickly to messages, Looks like you already have an account! | Gown for the Comtesse di Castiglione, Ert (Romain de Tirtoff), 1861-1867, LACMA. He listened. Most famously, Robert de Montesquieu collected hundreds of her photographs and wrote a biography of her that he titled La Divine Comtesse. The Countess of Castiglione was Italian; she was married off at age 17 to the count, who was 12 years older. 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