Countess castiglione biography of martin

Amanda DeMarco Did you envision writing a triptych when you began working on Exposition?

Nathalie Léger inom began Exposition in total darkness. How to give a struktur to a series of impressions, intuitions, and obsessions? How to tie tillsammans stories, notations, works, and reminiscences in order to unravel something else totally unknown? inom stammered over each word. And so, you can imagine, the thought of a triptych... frankly ingenting was further from my mind. Once the book is written, you forget, but to start, you must manage to find the röst and tone of your story. You have to get through—how to put it?—shame, essentially, yes that’s it—the shame and boredom of talking about yourself. I had to concede to explore a childhood sorrow that I funnen horribly banal—and yet inom didn’t have any choice, I had to find a struktur for it. It was retrospectively, after Suite for Barbara Loden, that the idea of a continuity asserted itself. That said, one ca

•

FROM THE BYGONE

Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione (1837 – 1899), better known as La Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat who was a special agent for the cause of Italian unification, the mistress of Napoleon III, and a mysterious recluse notorious for her numerous love affairs. She was born to a noble Florentine family and at 17 she married the Count di Castiglione. It was a bad match; she cheated on him shamelessly and eventually left him bankrupt. In 1857 they separated. She left Paris in 1858, due to the scandal surrounding her liaison with Napoléon III.

Before that, while still living in Paris, the Countess had created a sensation. The beautiful statuesque countess was both decadent and extravagant. Lavish balls where prevalent during the period and she became known for her flamboyant entrances in elaborate dress at the imperial court. One of her most infamous outfits was a “Queen of Hearts” costume. She was even considered the most beautiful woman of

•

.