
The Mistress of Paris: The 19th-Century Courtesan Who Built an Empire on a Secret
Catherine Hewitt
Valtesse de la Bigne was a celebrated nineteenth-century Parisian courtesan. She was painted by Manet and inspired Emile Zola, who immortalised her in his scandalous novel Nana. Her rumoured affairs with Napoleon III and the future Edward VII kept gossip columns full.
But her glamourous 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 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.
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.
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About Catherine Hewitt
Reviews for The Mistress of Paris: The 19th-Century Courtesan Who Built an Empire on a Secret
The Biographer's Club prize
Innately fascinating
All About History
An enthralling story, told with both conviction and sympathy
The Observer
A handsome boudoir book
Irish Examiner
[Hewitt] offers an intriguing insight into the precarious glamour of life as a 19th-century courtesan
The Daily Telegraph
'Full of detail and astute observation, the book is a remarkable tale'.
France Magazine
'Plenty of scandal that will have you curled up with this book for hours'.
Living France Magazine
Riveting.
The Bookseller