French school of the XIXth century Portrait... - Lot 89 - Paris Enchères - Collin du Bocage

Lot 89
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Estimation :
500 - 800 EUR
French school of the XIXth century Portrait... - Lot 89 - Paris Enchères - Collin du Bocage
French school of the XIXth century Portrait of the Castiglione Canvas 47 x 38 cm Virginia Oldoïni, who became Countess of Castiglione through her marriage, was born in Florence on March 22, 1837 and died in Paris on November 28, 1899. A Piedmontese aristocrat, she was sent at the age of eighteen by the minister Cavour of the king of Piedmont-Sardinia to become Napoleon III's mistress. Accompanied by her husband and son, she arrived in Paris on December 25, 1855 where they settled at 10 rue de Castiglione. Her husband left her after a few months, and the countess maintained a relationship with the Emperor of France for two years. This imperial adultery, which was the talk of the town, opened the doors of the private salons of Europe, which would normally have been closed to her. La Castiglione was also a figure in the early days of photography, and was a model at the studio of the Mayer brothers and Pierre-Louis Pierson from 1856 for almost 40 years.
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