We just learned about this woman in my early photography history course, and I absolutely HAD to write about her. Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione, or as she was better known, La Castiglione, was possibly the original badass. Considered to be the most beautiful woman of her time (1837-1899), La Castiglione was also rumored to have been an Italian or Russian (or both!) spy. She had a two year affair with Napoleon III, which lead to a separation from her arranged marriage to Count Francesco Verasis di Castiglione, and her entrance into the European elite.
In 1856 La Castiglione began a forty year collaboration with Pierre-Louis Pierson, a French court photographer. She posed not only in her extravagant gowns (which she was well known for), but in various costumes, taking on narrative roles, and later painting on the prints with gouache. She also photographed various uncovered parts of her body, including her feet and legs, which was absolutely unheard of and extremely racy at the time.
If you are at all familiar with contemporary photography, you will note that she would seem to be the predecessor to a slew of female self-portraitists (though La Castiglione was not controlling the camera herself, she was clearly entirely in control of all other aspects), including Claude Cahun and Cindy Sherman. So cool.
2000 MET exhibit "La Divine Comtesse"
"La Divine Comtesse" (book from the MET show) on googlebooks (lots of pictures!)
images: metmuseum.org
ottimo
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