Bibliograph

The mistress of Paris, the 19th-century courtesan who built an empire on a secret, Catherine Hewitt

Type

Label

The mistress of Paris, the 19th-century courtesan who built an empire on a secret, Catherine Hewitt

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The mistress of Paris

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

947146307

Responsibility statement

Catherine Hewitt

Sub title

the 19th-century courtesan who built an empire on a secret

Summary

"Comtesse Valtesse de la Bigne was a celebrated nineteenth-century Parisian courtesan. She was painted by Manet and inspired Emile Zola, who immortalized her in his scandalous novel Nana. Her rumored affairs with Napoleon III and the future Edward VII kept gossip columns full. But her glamorous existence hid a dark secret: she was no Comtesse. She was born into abject poverty, raised on a squalid Paris backstreet; the lowest of the low. Yet she transformed herself into an enchantress who possessed a small fortune, three mansions, fabulous carriages, and art that drew the envy of connoisseurs across France and Europe. A consummate show-woman, she ensured that her life--and even her death--remained shrouded in just enough mystery to keep her audience hungry for more. Catherine Hewitt's biography, The Mistress of Paris, tells the forgotten story of a remarkable French woman who, though her roots were lowly, never stopped aiming high."--Provided by publisher

resource.variantTitle

Mistress of Paris, the nineteenth-century courtesan who built an empire on a secret

Classification