In 1855, their only son, Giorgio, was . 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. In 1861, Italy unified into an official kingdom, thanks in no small part to the countesss tireless, breathy efforts. Her level of control over these projects cannot be. The Countess of Castiglione is one of the most bewildering woman known to history. 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. Right before her arranged marriage to the older count, Oldoini sowed her wild oats, and then some. Copyright Odd Feed 2023. 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. Public collections can be seen by the public, including other shoppers, and may show up in recommendations and other places. 2023 Getty Images. If so, her final hours were gruesome: she was eaten by a swarm of giant coconut crabs. James Hyman Gallery. (689) $5.95. By 1860, their affair had soured, and the countess had completely lost favor at court. 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. He listened. Well, today we're going to talk about the woman considered the queen of selfies and a true pioneer of photography in general. 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. The Eternal Father did not know what he was creating the day he sent her into the world. The use of most of her photos is unclear. All eyes were on her whenever she entered a room, and her costumes were the talk of the court. Virginia Oldoini, infamously known as The Countess of Castiglione, was a femme fatale, and an icon in her time, breaking traditional stereotypes, turning eyes and bending knees, wherever she set foot. Thanks for your help! A portrait of the Countess of Castiglione. Born Virginie Oldoini in 1837, this Italian worman coming from Tuscan nobility married Franois Verasis, Count of Castiglione, in 1854. Does Fragonards painting have the same subtext? She inspired the novel Exposition by Nathalie Lger. Would love your thoughts, please comment. But then the Countess took the feud to the next level. Her parents were the Marquis of Filippo Oldoini and the Marquise of Isabella Lamporecchi, who belonged to the Tuscan nobility. The Italian Virginia Oldoini weds the Comte de Castiglione and is sent in 1856 in Paris to help defend the cause of Italy, in the likes of . When Francesco tried to claim custody of her only beloved son Giorgio, the Countess of Castiglione didnt take it lying down. Even after her tenure as a royal mistress, the countess played an important role in European politics. 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. She replied in kind, No, Sire. This sartorial talent even once allowed her to make a legendary statement. At the time of her death, she was in the process of planning a comeback exhibition, a retrospective titled "The Most Beautiful Woman of the Century. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Shapes, color and value, eye-catching visual impact on art. The separation wasnt just an idle threat, either. George Frederic Watts painted her portrait in . Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. 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.. She went back in 1861 and stayed for goodgetting into a lot more trouble in the meantime. The Countess was known for her beauty and her flamboyant entrances in elaborate dress at the imperial court. The Countess was painted by the artist Jacques-mile Blanche after her death. To enable personalized advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. She had long, wavy blonde hair, a refined face, and a legendary figure. Sale Price 14.01 Gee thanks Virginia, you really shouldnt have. 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. 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. 1 Born into Novelty. Virginia Oldoiniknown better to history as the Countess of Castiglionewas mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Italian Virgiana Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, holding an oval picture frame up to her eye,. A pioneering model and a bounty of Narcissism , she took self love to a completely different tangent. She found her niche in Mayer-Pierson photographic studio on Boulevard de Capucine. 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!. Hey, you think a face that beautiful comes for free? She lost her charm and beauty and took ghastly and unnatural pictures of herself, posing in a coffin with her dead dog. The Countess of Castigliones self-seclusion later in her life was rooted not just in vanity but also in tragedy. Try using a different browser or disabling ad blockers. On March 22, 1837, the Countess was born into her very own gilded, velvet world. In 1879, little Giorgio passed from smallpox, predeceasing his utterly bereft mother by a cruel 20 years. Here is the version with Yvonne De Carlo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpDoq0k649w. The Countess of Castiglione was popular in the court of Emperor Napoleon III. This did not shake our Countess as she was content with her new venture. Set where you live, what language you speak, and the currency you use. 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 . Which makes the countess infamous act of revenge all the more savage. Granted Castiglione was obsessed by her own beauty but so was everybody around her. . Her playful photoshoots anticipated the Surrealist aesthetic that would dominate the art scene after she passed In one meta photo, she peers at the viewer through a cameradrawing attention to the ways shes both looking at you while youre looking at her. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Before you start screaming wtf victory rolls??! 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 . If you own the rights to content here and wish it removed, please contact us. Her adult life began when her beauty and noble blood allowed her to become the Countess da Castiglione through marriage to Francesco Verasis. The Countess of Castiglione had no love lost for Empress Eugenie, Napoleons wife. 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. Linocut engraved and printed by hand. Italian Virgiana Oldoini , countess of Castiglione , she was the spy of french emperor NapoleonIII, holding an oval picture frame up to her eye,. Along with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson, Virginia managed to take around 700 photographs of herself. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. 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. Count Franceso went with her, and everybody knows that a middle-aged husband can really cramp your courtesan style. ), Yes, its found it. 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. Yeah, theres a reason why it became infamous. She spent a large part of her personal fortune and even went into debt to execute this project. Original Price 6.20 I dont think narcissist is the right word. She was partly responsible for Italian unification due to the influence she had upon the Emperor. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. The Countess of Castiglione in a photo by Pierre-Louis Pierson (c. 1863-66). What actually happened was even more disastrous. So now Oldoini wasnt just a spy, she was a honeypot. ", Writing about herself in third person, the Countess said, "The Eternal Father did not know what he was creating the day he sent her into the world; he modeled and modeled, and when he was finished he looked at his wondrous work and was overwhelmed. You are leaving too early.. Sure, the countess was beautiful, but beauty is only skin deep. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. She not only entered the ballroom with the emperor on her arm, she also did it while wearing a Queen of Hearts costume. 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. skeleton on the Pacific island of Nikumaroro. I just gagged, and not in the good way. Virginia had successfully enticed the Emperor and became his mistress, much to the dissatisfaction of his wife, Empress Eugenie. (40% off), Keep collections to yourself or inspire other shoppers! When he opened it, he was horrified. 3 A Scurvy Expedition. Detail, Louis Pierson's photographic portrait of the Countess of Castiglione, ca. This is the famous "Queen of Hearts" colorized photo of the Countess of Castiglione by Pierson. Feb 4, 2014 - Explore Alessandra Casiraghi's board "Virginia Oldoini", followed by 216 people on Pinterest. The Wikipedia article for Virginia Oldoni, Countess of Castiglione, places her behind the scenes at some critical points in Franco-Italian history, France supporting Italian unification and Prussia not occupying Paris. Eugenie reportedly found a way to waltz over to the barely-dressed countess. Check out that AMAZEBALLS HAIR! Vintage Photography. Soon after the divorce, The Countess took a rather popular photograph in todays time, dressed in a gorgeous gown and holding a knife in her hand, titled La Venegance, and sent it to her husband as a befitting reply. He left her in a corner without assigning her a place.". Want to know more interesting facts? In the summer of 2014, she published a book on 18th-century wig and hair styling. By Kendra on November 7, 2019 in Nineteenth Century. La Castiglione lived and died for beauty, but her inner beauty wasnt up to the standards implied by her physical assets. She died on November 28, 1899, at the age of sixty-two, and was buried at the Pre Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. 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. When she did leave, she would wear dark veils and only go out at night so she could cover all evidence of her shameful age. (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 . 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. 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. Glamorous, with an emphasis on form and fashion, the images were among the first of their kind. Take full advantage of our site features by enabling JavaScript. Countess of Castiglione, c.1865 (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) Curiosities. Her cousin, Camilo Benso, was a minister in the court of Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia. 1. 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. She was titled La divina Contessa literally translating to The Divine Countess for her beauty and charm. He was twelve years her senior. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. She often hand painted over her photographs and directed her shots, to put forward her best angle, much like a supermodel. View contact information for cast and crew. 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. Although the union gave Virginia the name we know her by today, it didnt give her a whole lot else. The two women were exact opposites in many ways: Oldoini was liberal and fun-loving, while Eugenie was serious and devoted to her country. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. 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. Nearly two years into their marriage, in 1855, she was sent to Paris along with her husband. Born Virginia Elisabetta Luisa Carlotta Antonietta Teresa Maria Oldoni 1937 to an aristocratic family from La Spezia, Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castigli. As one of her contemporaries put it more sharply, After a few momentsshe began to get on your nerves. In the 1890s she began a brief collaboration with Pierson again, though her later photographs clearly show her loss of any critical judgement, possibly due to her growing mental instability. 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