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Start giftingThe Mistress of Paris
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Learn moreComtesse Valtesse de la Bigne was painted by Édouard Manet and inspired Émile Zola, who immortalized her in his scandalous novel Nana. Her rumored affairs with Napoleon III and the future King 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 backstreet among the dregs of Parisian society. Yet she transformed herself into an enchantress who possessed a small fortune, three mansions, fabulous carriages, and art the envy of connoisseurs across 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.
Spectacularly evoking the sights and sounds of mid- to late nineteenth-century Paris in all its hedonistic glory, Catherine Hewitt’s biography tells, for the first time ever in English, the forgotten story of a remarkable woman who, though her roots were lowly, never stopped aiming high.
Catherine Hewitt studied French literature and art history at Royal Holloway, University of London, and the Courtauld Institute of Art. Her proposal for The Mistress of Paris was awarded the runner-up prize in the 2012 Biographers’ Club Tony Lothian Competition for the best proposal by an uncommissioned, first-time biographer.
Reviews
“Hewitt is a diligent researcher and her handsomely illustrated debut biography is crammed with period detail.”
“An enthralling story, told with both conviction and sympathy.”
“Her lovers included painters and politicians, and she caused plenty of scandal that will have you curled up with this book for hours.”
“A fascinating biography.”
“A vivid portrait of a woman who reinvented herself and carved out a successful and lucrative career in one of the only realms available to women in her time, place, and circumstances.”
“A thoroughly researched and clearly written account of a determined and talented woman and of an era.”
“Through incisive enquiry and astute observation, Catherine Hewitt traces the courtesan’s flight from squalor to splendour, her prose sparkling in the light of her luminous subject.”
“Riveting.”
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