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Courtesan

January 08, 2023

For other uses, see Courtesan (disambiguation).

Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients.[1] The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person.[2]

History

In European feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together. Prior to the Renaissance, courtesans served to convey information to visiting dignitaries, when servants could not be trusted. In Renaissance Europe, courtiers played an extremely important role in upper-class society. As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives—commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances—men and women would often seek gratification and companionship from people living at court. In fact, the verb 'to court' originally meant "to be or reside at court", and later came to mean "to behave as a courtier" and then 'courtship', or "to pay amorous attention to somebody".[2] The most intimate companion of a ruler was called the "favourite".

In Renaissance usage, the Italian word cortigiana, feminine of cortigiano ("courtier") came to refer to a person who attends the court, and then to a well-educated and independent woman, eventually a trained artist or artisan of dance and singing, especially one associated with wealthy, powerful, or upper-class society who was given luxuries and status in exchange for entertainment and companionship.[3] The word was borrowed by English from Italian through the French form courtisane during the 16th century, especially associated to the meaning of donna di palazzo.[2]

A male figure comparable to the courtesan was the Italian cicisbeo, the French chevalier servant, the Spanish cortejo or estrecho.

The courtesans of East Asia, particularly those of the Japanese empire, held a different social role than that of their European counterparts. Examples of Japanese courtesans included the oiran class, who were more focused on the aspect of entertainment than European courtesans.[4]

Courtesans of ancient India known as ganikas were the center of city life. According to historian Sanjay K. Gautam, the courtesan in India was "a symbol of both sexual-erotic and aesthetic pleasure".[5]

Categories

 
Veronica Franco, famous Venetian poet and courtesan. Portrait by Paolo Veronese.

One type of courtesan was known (in Italy) as the cortigiana onesta, or the honest courtesan, who was cast as an intellectual. Another was the cortigiana di lume, a lower class of courtesan. The former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more-or-less equal to women of the nobility. It is with this type of courtesan that the art of "courtisanerie" is best associated.[citation needed]

The cortigiane oneste were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their "breeding"—social and conversational skills, intelligence, common sense, and companionship—as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. Sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan's array of services. For example, they were well-dressed and ready to engage and participate in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics.

In some cases, courtesans were from well-to-do backgrounds, and were even married—but to husbands lower on the social ladder than their clients. In these cases, their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve their spouses' status—and so, more often than not, the husband was aware of his wife's profession and dealings.[6]

Differences in status

As primary employment

Courtesans from non-wealthy backgrounds provided charming companionship for extended periods, no matter what their own feelings or commitments might have been at the time, and sometimes had to be prepared to do so on short notice. They were also subject to lower social status, and often religious disapproval, because of the perceived immoral aspects of their profession and their reliance upon courtisanerie as a primary source of income. In cases like this, a courtesan was solely dependent on her benefactor or benefactors financially, making her vulnerable; Cora Pearl is a good example.

 
Courtesans with their servants by Lancelot Volders

Often, courtesans serving in this capacity began their career as a prostitute, although many came to the profession by other means. It was not uncommon for a courtesan to enter into an arranged long-term liaison by contract with a wealthy benefactor. These contracts were written up by and witnessed by lawyers, and were binding. Most included some provision for the financial welfare of the courtesan beyond the end of the relationship in the form of an annuity. Many such women became so powerful socially and financially that they could be particular about the men they associated with; in other words they chose their paramour as would any other mistress, not the other way around. Wealthy benefactors would go to great lengths to court a courtesan as a prize, the ultimate goal being a long-term contract as a mistress.

Occasionally courtesans were passed from one benefactor to another, thereby resulting in them being viewed in society circles as lower than both their benefactor and those of wealth and power with whom they would socialise. Often, in instances of this sort, if the courtesan had satisfactorily served a benefactor, that benefactor would, when ending the affair, pass her on to another benefactor of wealth as a favour to the courtesan, or set her up in an arranged marriage to a semi-wealthy benefactor. If the courtesan had angered or dissatisfied a benefactor, then she would often find herself cast out of wealthy circles, returning more often than not to street prostitution.

For social or political benefits

Should not be confused with a royal mistress

Those from wealthy backgrounds, either by birth or marriage, and who were acting as courtesans only for the social or political advancement of themselves and/or their spouses were generally treated as equals. They were more respected by their extramarital companions, both placing one another's family obligations ahead of the relationship and planning their own liaisons or social engagements around the lovers' marital obligations.

Affairs of this sort would often be short-lived, ending when either the courtesan or the courtesan's spouse received the status or political position desired, or when the benefactor chose the company of another courtesan, and compensated the former companion financially. In instances like this, it was often viewed simply as a business agreement by both parties involved. The benefactor was aware of the political or social favors expected by the courtesan, the courtesan was aware of the price expected from them for those favors being carried out, and the two met one another's demands.

This was generally a safe affair, as both the benefactor's spouse and the courtesan's spouse usually were fully aware of the arrangement, and the courtesan was not solely dependent on the benefactor. It, rather, was simply an affair of benefits gained for both those involved. Publicly and socially, affairs of this sort were common during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the early 20th century, and were generally accepted in wealthy circles.[6]

Career length

In later centuries, from the mid-18th century on, courtesans would often find themselves cast aside by their benefactors, but the days of public execution or imprisonment based on their promiscuous lifestyle were over. There are many examples of courtesans who, by remaining discreet and respectful to their benefactors, were able to extend their careers into or past middle age and retire financially secure; Catherine Walters is a good example. By the late 19th century, and for a brief period in the early 20th century, courtesans had reached a level of social acceptance in many circles and settings, often even to the extent of becoming a friend and confidant to the wife of their benefactor.[6]

More often than not, a woman serving as a courtesan would last in that field only as long as she could prove herself useful to her companion, or companions. This, of course, excludes those who served as courtesans but who were already married into high society. When referring to those who made their service as a courtesan as their main source of income, success was based solely on financial management and longevity. Many climbed through the ranks of royalty, serving as mistress to lesser nobles first, eventually reaching the role of (unofficial) mistress to a king or prince.

Pietro Aretino, an Italian Renaissance writer, wrote a series of dialogues (Capricciosi ragionamenti) in which a mother teaches her daughter what options are available to women and how to be an effective courtesan. The French novelist Balzac wrote about a courtesan in his Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes (1838–47). Émile Zola likewise wrote a novel, Nana (1880), about a courtesan in nineteenth-century France.

Famous courtesans

This is a list of some professional courtesans. They are not royal mistresses, unless a professional courtesan was also a royal mistress.

Separately from this list, the term "courtesan" has been used in a political context in an attempt to damage the reputation of a powerful woman, or disparage her importance. Because of this, there is still much historical debate over whether certain women in history were courtesans. For example, the title was applied to the Byzantine empress Theodora, who had started life as an erotic actress but later became the wife of the Emperor Justinian and, after her death, an Orthodox saint. The term has also been applied to influential women including Anne Boleyn, Umrao Jaan, Diane de Poitiers, Mathilde Kschessinska, Pamela Harriman, Eva Perón and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The attempt to define such women as courtesans has been intended to draw attention to certain perceived qualities, ambitions or conduct which are held to be courtesan-like. Because of this, only professional courtesans should be listed.

17th century and before

18th and 19th centuries

 
Mary Nesbitt

20th century

Famous courtesans in fiction

  • Angellica Bianca in Aphra Behn's 1677 play The Rover.
  • Bianca in William Shakespeare's Othello is considered a courtesan to Cassio.
  • Bianca, who appears in Anne Rice's The Vampire Armand, is a courtesan.
  • In John Cleland's Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, Fanny goes from poor orphaned country girl to wealthy skilled courtesan eventually finding her one true love and retiring to marriage. Her history is told in the first person through several letters to friends detailing her life as a courtesan.
  • In Sarah Dunant's In the Company of the Courtesan, Fiammetta Bianchini, a renowned courtesan of Rome, and her sharp-witted dwarf rise to success among the intrigue and secrets of Renaissance Venice.
  • In the book A Great and Terrible Beauty, Pippa accuses Felicity of having a mother who is a courtesan and a consort, and who ran away to France not only to run a salon but to be with her lover, a Frenchman.
  • Inara Serra is a 26th-century Alliance companion, a position inspired by courtesans, in Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly.
  • Kamala, in Herman Hesse's Siddhartha.
  • Komagata Yumi in the manga Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Roumantan.
  • La Dame aux Camélias is a novel about a courtesan by French author Alexandre Dumas, fils that was turned into the opera La Traviata by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. In the novel, the courtesan's name is Marguerite Gautier; in the opera, it is Violetta Valéry. "La Traviata" in Italian translates "The Wayward One".
  • Lysandra in the book series Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, a shape-shifting courtesan working to pay off her debts and care for her rescued acolyte, Evangeline.
  • Madame Gabrielle from Dora Levy Mossanen. Courtesan: A Novel. Touchstone, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-4678-0
  • Magda in Puccini's La rondine.
  • Many examples in Indian literature and Bollywood films: Sahibjaan in Pakeezah, Umrao Jaan in the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada and its adaptations, Chandramukhi in Devdas.
  • Mira Nair's 1996 film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love highlights the profession of courtesans in 16th-century India, featuring Rasa Devi (Rekha) and Maya (Indira Varma).
  • Nana, in Emile Zola's eponymous novel of 1880 is a courtesan.
  • Odette de Crecy from Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time is a courtesan of the French Belle Epoque, she gains a notorious reputation from cavorting with aristocrats, artists and bourgeois, of both sexes.
  • Paola and Sister Teodora were the leaders of the courtesans of Florence and Venice (respectively) in the video game Assassin's Creed II. In its sequel, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Madame Solari is shown to be the leader of the courtesans in Rome. Courtesans also provide a gameplay mechanic in the two games, main character Ezio Auditore can hire small groups of courtesans that can be used to escort the assassin without being noticed, and to distract hostile guards.
  • Phèdre nó Delaunay, the premier courtesan of Terre D'Ange in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy novels.
  • Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, an actress/courtesan who falls in love with a penniless poet/writer played by Ewan McGregor, in Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film, Moulin Rouge!.
  • Sha'ira, an asari "Consort" from the Mass Effect computer game series.
  • The Broadway plays, musicals, and movies based upon the book Gigi are about a young Parisian girl who is being trained to be a courtesan by her great-aunt, a retired career courtesan herself.
  • Ulla Winblad, in the famous 18th-century poems of Carl Michael Bellman.
  • Vasantasena, a nagarvadhu in the ancient Indian Sanskrit play Mṛcchakatika by Śūdraka.
  • Vittoria Corombona in John Webster's play The White Devil. She is described in the alternative title of the play as 'the famous Venetian Curtizan'.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Definition of COURTESAN". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  2. ^ a b c "Courtesan". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 19 June 2019. v. courtesan, -zan, 1, Obs., "One attached to the court of a prince"; courtesan, -zan, 2, "A court-mistress", Etymon "a. F. courtisane, ad. It. cortigiana, in Florio cortegiana "a curtezane, a strumpet", orig. woman attached to the court, fem. of cortigiano. In quotation 1565 directly from Italian"
  3. ^ Castiglione, Baldassare. The Book of the Courtier. In Italy, Castiglione uses the masculine form cortigiano ("courtier") but for the feminine form cortigiana ("courtesan") uses the term donna di palazzo (literally "palace lady")
  4. ^ "Geisha Dolls". University of Florida. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  5. ^ Gautam, Sanjay K. (2016). Foucault and the Kamasutra: The Courtesan, the Dandy, and the Birth of Ars Erotica as Theater in India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 87–112. ISBN 9780226348445.
  6. ^ a b c "A brief history of the Courtesan" 2006-03-19 at the Wayback Machine(from icqurimage.com, 2005)

Sources

  • Dalby, Liza. "Geisha, 25th Anniversary Edition, Updated Edition". Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2008. Print.
  • Gaite, Carmen Martín. Love Customs in Eighteenth-Century Spain. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991.
  • Griffin, Susan (2001). The Book of the Courtesans: a Catalogue of Their Virtues. New York: Broadway Books
  • Hickman, Katie (2003). Courtesans: Money, Sex, and Fame in the Nineteenth Century. New York: HarperCollins
  • Lawner, Lynne (1987). Lives of the Courtesans: Portraits of the Renaissance. New York: Rizzoli
  • Peletz, Michael G. "Gender, Sexuality, and Body Politics in Modern Asia". Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Asian Studies, 2007. Print.
  • Rounding, Virginia (2003). Grandes Horizontales: The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth-Century Courtesans. London: Bloomsbury

Further reading

  • Martha Feldman, Bonnie Gordon. The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives. pp. 312–352.
  • Sanjay K. Gautam. Foucault and the Kamasutra: The Courtesan, the Dandy, and the Birth of Ars Erotica as Theater in India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016.

External links

  • "Part VI: Introductory Remarks" Section about courtesans in Kamasutra by Vatsayayana

January 08, 2023
courtesan, other, uses, disambiguation, modern, usage, euphemism, kept, mistress, prostitute, particularly, with, wealthy, powerful, influential, clients, term, historically, referred, courtier, person, attended, court, monarch, other, powerful, person, conten. For other uses see Courtesan disambiguation Courtesan in modern usage is a euphemism for a kept mistress or prostitute particularly one with wealthy powerful or influential clients 1 The term historically referred to a courtier a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person 2 Contents 1 History 2 Categories 3 Differences in status 3 1 As primary employment 3 2 For social or political benefits 4 Career length 5 Famous courtesans 5 1 17th century and before 5 2 18th and 19th centuries 5 3 20th century 5 4 Famous courtesans in fiction 6 See also 7 References 8 Sources 9 Further reading 10 External linksHistory EditIn European feudal society the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch and social and political life were often completely mixed together Prior to the Renaissance courtesans served to convey information to visiting dignitaries when servants could not be trusted In Renaissance Europe courtiers played an extremely important role in upper class society As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances men and women would often seek gratification and companionship from people living at court In fact the verb to court originally meant to be or reside at court and later came to mean to behave as a courtier and then courtship or to pay amorous attention to somebody 2 The most intimate companion of a ruler was called the favourite In Renaissance usage the Italian word cortigiana feminine of cortigiano courtier came to refer to a person who attends the court and then to a well educated and independent woman eventually a trained artist or artisan of dance and singing especially one associated with wealthy powerful or upper class society who was given luxuries and status in exchange for entertainment and companionship 3 The word was borrowed by English from Italian through the French form courtisane during the 16th century especially associated to the meaning of donna di palazzo 2 A male figure comparable to the courtesan was the Italian cicisbeo the French chevalier servant the Spanish cortejo or estrecho The courtesans of East Asia particularly those of the Japanese empire held a different social role than that of their European counterparts Examples of Japanese courtesans included the oiran class who were more focused on the aspect of entertainment than European courtesans 4 Courtesans of ancient India known as ganikas were the center of city life According to historian Sanjay K Gautam the courtesan in India was a symbol of both sexual erotic and aesthetic pleasure 5 Categories Edit Veronica Franco famous Venetian poet and courtesan Portrait by Paolo Veronese One type of courtesan was known in Italy as the cortigiana onesta or the honest courtesan who was cast as an intellectual Another was the cortigiana di lume a lower class of courtesan The former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more or less equal to women of the nobility It is with this type of courtesan that the art of courtisanerie is best associated citation needed The cortigiane oneste were usually well educated and worldly sometimes even more so than the average upper class woman and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists They were typically chosen on the basis of their breeding social and conversational skills intelligence common sense and companionship as well as their physical attributes It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women Sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan s array of services For example they were well dressed and ready to engage and participate in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics In some cases courtesans were from well to do backgrounds and were even married but to husbands lower on the social ladder than their clients In these cases their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve their spouses status and so more often than not the husband was aware of his wife s profession and dealings 6 Differences in status EditAs primary employment Edit Courtesans from non wealthy backgrounds provided charming companionship for extended periods no matter what their own feelings or commitments might have been at the time and sometimes had to be prepared to do so on short notice They were also subject to lower social status and often religious disapproval because of the perceived immoral aspects of their profession and their reliance upon courtisanerie as a primary source of income In cases like this a courtesan was solely dependent on her benefactor or benefactors financially making her vulnerable Cora Pearl is a good example Courtesans with their servants by Lancelot Volders Often courtesans serving in this capacity began their career as a prostitute although many came to the profession by other means It was not uncommon for a courtesan to enter into an arranged long term liaison by contract with a wealthy benefactor These contracts were written up by and witnessed by lawyers and were binding Most included some provision for the financial welfare of the courtesan beyond the end of the relationship in the form of an annuity Many such women became so powerful socially and financially that they could be particular about the men they associated with in other words they chose their paramour as would any other mistress not the other way around Wealthy benefactors would go to great lengths to court a courtesan as a prize the ultimate goal being a long term contract as a mistress Occasionally courtesans were passed from one benefactor to another thereby resulting in them being viewed in society circles as lower than both their benefactor and those of wealth and power with whom they would socialise Often in instances of this sort if the courtesan had satisfactorily served a benefactor that benefactor would when ending the affair pass her on to another benefactor of wealth as a favour to the courtesan or set her up in an arranged marriage to a semi wealthy benefactor If the courtesan had angered or dissatisfied a benefactor then she would often find herself cast out of wealthy circles returning more often than not to street prostitution For social or political benefits Edit Should not be confused with a royal mistressThose from wealthy backgrounds either by birth or marriage and who were acting as courtesans only for the social or political advancement of themselves and or their spouses were generally treated as equals They were more respected by their extramarital companions both placing one another s family obligations ahead of the relationship and planning their own liaisons or social engagements around the lovers marital obligations Affairs of this sort would often be short lived ending when either the courtesan or the courtesan s spouse received the status or political position desired or when the benefactor chose the company of another courtesan and compensated the former companion financially In instances like this it was often viewed simply as a business agreement by both parties involved The benefactor was aware of the political or social favors expected by the courtesan the courtesan was aware of the price expected from them for those favors being carried out and the two met one another s demands This was generally a safe affair as both the benefactor s spouse and the courtesan s spouse usually were fully aware of the arrangement and the courtesan was not solely dependent on the benefactor It rather was simply an affair of benefits gained for both those involved Publicly and socially affairs of this sort were common during the 17th 18th and 19th centuries as well as the early 20th century and were generally accepted in wealthy circles 6 Career length EditIn later centuries from the mid 18th century on courtesans would often find themselves cast aside by their benefactors but the days of public execution or imprisonment based on their promiscuous lifestyle were over There are many examples of courtesans who by remaining discreet and respectful to their benefactors were able to extend their careers into or past middle age and retire financially secure Catherine Walters is a good example By the late 19th century and for a brief period in the early 20th century courtesans had reached a level of social acceptance in many circles and settings often even to the extent of becoming a friend and confidant to the wife of their benefactor 6 More often than not a woman serving as a courtesan would last in that field only as long as she could prove herself useful to her companion or companions This of course excludes those who served as courtesans but who were already married into high society When referring to those who made their service as a courtesan as their main source of income success was based solely on financial management and longevity Many climbed through the ranks of royalty serving as mistress to lesser nobles first eventually reaching the role of unofficial mistress to a king or prince Pietro Aretino an Italian Renaissance writer wrote a series of dialogues Capricciosi ragionamenti in which a mother teaches her daughter what options are available to women and how to be an effective courtesan The French novelist Balzac wrote about a courtesan in his Splendeurs et miseres des courtisanes 1838 47 Emile Zola likewise wrote a novel Nana 1880 about a courtesan in nineteenth century France Famous courtesans EditThis is a list of some professional courtesans They are not royal mistresses unless a professional courtesan was also a royal mistress Separately from this list the term courtesan has been used in a political context in an attempt to damage the reputation of a powerful woman or disparage her importance Because of this there is still much historical debate over whether certain women in history were courtesans For example the title was applied to the Byzantine empress Theodora who had started life as an erotic actress but later became the wife of the Emperor Justinian and after her death an Orthodox saint The term has also been applied to influential women including Anne Boleyn Umrao Jaan Diane de Poitiers Mathilde Kschessinska Pamela Harriman Eva Peron and Gabrielle Coco Chanel The attempt to define such women as courtesans has been intended to draw attention to certain perceived qualities ambitions or conduct which are held to be courtesan like Because of this only professional courtesans should be listed 17th century and before Edit Lais of Corinth by Hans Holbein the Younger Kunstmuseum Basel Amrapali 5th century BC nagarvadhu courtesan of Vaishali following the Buddha s teachings she became an arahant Anarkali 17th century courtesan of Salim later Mughal emperor Jahangir Arib al Ma muniyya Arabic ع ر يب المأمونية CE 797 890 qiyan courtesan Chen Yuanyuan 1624 1681 Chinese Yiji courtesan one of the famous Eight Beauties of Qinhuai Diaochan born 169 AD the lover of warlord Dong Zhuo and warrior Lu Bu during the Chinese Three Kingdoms Faḍl al Shaʻirah Arabic فضل الشاعرة d 871 CE qiyan courtesan Hwang Jini fl 1550 legendary gisaeng courtesan of the Joseon Dynasty ʽInan Arabic ع نان d 841 qiyan courtesan Imperia Cognati 1486 1512 courtesan of Renaissance Rome referred to as the first courtesan in Europe Kanhopatra 15th century Indian Marathi saint poet and courtesan Lais of Corinth 5th century BC hetaira courtesan Lais of Hyccara killed 340 BC hetaira courtesan Li Shishi 1062 1127 Chinese courtesan regularly employed by Emperor Huizong of Song Li Ye d 784 Chinese Yiji courtesan and poet Marion Delorme circa 1613 1650 lover of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham the Prince of Conde and Cardinal Richelieu Ninon de l Enclos 1615 1705 lover of the Prince of Conde and Gaspard de Coligny Phryne 4th century BC hetaira courtesan Praecia fl 73 BC Roman courtesan Shariyah Arabic شار ية c 815 870 CE qiyan courtesan Su Xiaoxiao late 5th century Yiji courtesan Takao II 高尾 1640 1659 Japanese oiran courtesan Thais 4th century BC hetaira courtesan Theodora 6th century c 500 June 28 548 Byzantine actress courtesan later wife of Justinian I of the Byzantine Empire Tullia d Aragona c 1510 1556 top courtesan in several Italian cities and published poet Veronica Franco 1546 1591 a Venetian cortigiana onesta courtesan who was once lover to King Henry III of France and was depicted in the movie Dangerous Beauty Volumnia Cytheris 1st century BC Roman mimae actress and courtesan Yu Gam dong 15th century Korean Gisaeng courtesan18th and 19th centuries Edit Mary Nesbitt Cora Pearl Binodini Dasi 1862 1941 Indian courtesan actress Blanche d Antigny 1840 1874 French courtesan Emile Zola used her as the principal model for his novel Nana Catherine Walters 1839 1920 British courtesan Charlotte Slottsberg 1760 1800 Swedish courtesan ballerina lover but not official royal mistress of Charles XIII of Sweden Claudine Guerin de Tencin 1681 1749 French courtesan and later a famous salonniere Cora Pearl 1836 1886 demimonde courtesan Grande Horizontale of the Second Empire Dorothy Jordan 1761 1816 British courtesan actress Eliza Lynch 1835 1886 Irish courtesan de facto wife of Francisco Solano Lopez president of Paraguay Emma Hamilton 1765 1815 English model actress wife of William Hamilton and mistress of Lord Nelson Grace Elliott 1754 1823 British courtesan Harriette Wilson 1786 1846 British courtesan Josefa Ordonez 1728 d after 1792 Mexican courtesan actress Kitty Fisher died 1767 British courtesan and model La Belle Otero 1868 1965 Spanish courtesan La Paiva 1819 1884 French demimonde courtesan Grande Horizontale of the Second Empire Liane de Pougy 1869 1950 French courtesan and Folies Bergere dancer Lola Montez 1821 1861 Irish dancer mistress of king Ludwig I of Bavaria Madame du Barry 1743 1793 French courtesan last Maitresse en titre of Louis XV of France Mah Laqa Bai 7 April 1768 August 1824 Indian tawaif courtesan Marie Duplessis 1824 1847 French courtesan one of the best known from the era of Louis Philippe Marie Louise O Murphy 1737 1814 French courtesan lover but not official royal mistress of Louis XV of France Mary Nesbitt 1742 1825 British courtesan and spy Mata Hari 1876 1917 courtesan and spy Rosalie Duthe 1748 1830 French courtesan has been called the first officially recorded dumb blonde Sai Jinhua 1872 1936 Chinese courtesan Sophia Baddeley 1745 1786 British courtesan Stovlet Cathrine 1745 1805 Danish courtesan lover but not official royal mistress of King Christian VII of Denmark Zofia Potocka 1760 1822 Greek courtesan mistress of Grigory Potemkin and wife of Szczesny Potocki20th century Edit Marguerite Alibert 1890 1971 French courtesan lover but not official royal mistress of Prince Edward VIIIFamous courtesans in fiction Edit Angellica Bianca in Aphra Behn s 1677 play The Rover Bianca in William Shakespeare s Othello is considered a courtesan to Cassio Bianca who appears in Anne Rice s The Vampire Armand is a courtesan In John Cleland s Fanny Hill or the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure Fanny goes from poor orphaned country girl to wealthy skilled courtesan eventually finding her one true love and retiring to marriage Her history is told in the first person through several letters to friends detailing her life as a courtesan In Sarah Dunant s In the Company of the Courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini a renowned courtesan of Rome and her sharp witted dwarf rise to success among the intrigue and secrets of Renaissance Venice In the book A Great and Terrible Beauty Pippa accuses Felicity of having a mother who is a courtesan and a consort and who ran away to France not only to run a salon but to be with her lover a Frenchman Inara Serra is a 26th century Alliance companion a position inspired by courtesans in Joss Whedon s TV series Firefly Kamala in Herman Hesse s Siddhartha Komagata Yumi in the manga Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Roumantan La Dame aux Camelias is a novel about a courtesan by French author Alexandre Dumas fils that was turned into the opera La Traviata by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi In the novel the courtesan s name is Marguerite Gautier in the opera it is Violetta Valery La Traviata in Italian translates The Wayward One Lysandra in the book series Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas a shape shifting courtesan working to pay off her debts and care for her rescued acolyte Evangeline Madame Gabrielle from Dora Levy Mossanen Courtesan A Novel Touchstone 2005 ISBN 0 7432 4678 0 Magda in Puccini s La rondine Many examples in Indian literature and Bollywood films Sahibjaan in Pakeezah Umrao Jaan in the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada and its adaptations Chandramukhi in Devdas Mira Nair s 1996 film Kama Sutra A Tale of Love highlights the profession of courtesans in 16th century India featuring Rasa Devi Rekha and Maya Indira Varma Nana in Emile Zola s eponymous novel of 1880 is a courtesan Odette de Crecy from Marcel Proust s In Search of Lost Time is a courtesan of the French Belle Epoque she gains a notorious reputation from cavorting with aristocrats artists and bourgeois of both sexes Paola and Sister Teodora were the leaders of the courtesans of Florence and Venice respectively in the video game Assassin s Creed II In its sequel Assassin s Creed Brotherhood Madame Solari is shown to be the leader of the courtesans in Rome Courtesans also provide a gameplay mechanic in the two games main character Ezio Auditore can hire small groups of courtesans that can be used to escort the assassin without being noticed and to distract hostile guards Phedre no Delaunay the premier courtesan of Terre D Ange in Jacqueline Carey s Kushiel s Legacy novels Satine played by Nicole Kidman an actress courtesan who falls in love with a penniless poet writer played by Ewan McGregor in Baz Luhrmann s 2001 film Moulin Rouge Sha ira an asari Consort from the Mass Effect computer game series The Broadway plays musicals and movies based upon the book Gigi are about a young Parisian girl who is being trained to be a courtesan by her great aunt a retired career courtesan herself Ulla Winblad in the famous 18th century poems of Carl Michael Bellman Vasantasena a nagarvadhu in the ancient Indian Sanskrit play Mṛcchakatika by Sudraka Vittoria Corombona in John Webster s play The White Devil She is described in the alternative title of the play as the famous Venetian Curtizan See also EditRelated topics Grisette in France Pilegesh concubine in Hebrew Prostitute Religious prostitution Sugar baby contemporary counterpart Sycophant obedient flatterer Similar professions Almeh in the Middle East Ca tru in Vietnam Ge toaⁿ in Taiwan Hetaera in ancient Greece Kisaeng in Korea Nagarvadhu in ancient India Oiran in historic Japan Qiyan in the Middle East Shamakhi dancers in Azerbaijan Yiji in ChinaReferences Edit Definition of COURTESAN www merriam webster com Retrieved 2021 01 19 a b c Courtesan Oxford English Dictionary Oxford University Press Retrieved 19 June 2019 v courtesan zan 1 Obs One attached to the court of a prince courtesan zan 2 A court mistress Etymon a F courtisane ad It cortigiana in Florio cortegiana a curtezane a strumpet orig woman attached to the court fem of cortigiano In quotation 1565 directly from Italian Castiglione Baldassare The Book of the Courtier In Italy Castiglione uses the masculine form cortigiano courtier but for the feminine form cortigiana courtesan uses the term donna di palazzo literally palace lady Geisha Dolls University of Florida Retrieved 8 April 2012 Gautam Sanjay K 2016 Foucault and the Kamasutra The Courtesan the Dandy and the Birth of Ars Erotica as Theater in India Chicago University of Chicago Press pp 87 112 ISBN 9780226348445 a b c A brief history of the Courtesan Archived 2006 03 19 at the Wayback Machine from icqurimage com 2005 Sources EditDalby Liza Geisha 25th Anniversary Edition Updated Edition Berkeley CA University of California Press 2008 Print Gaite Carmen Martin Love Customs in Eighteenth Century Spain Berkeley University of California Press 1991 Griffin Susan 2001 The Book of the Courtesans a Catalogue of Their Virtues New York Broadway Books Hickman Katie 2003 Courtesans Money Sex and Fame in the Nineteenth Century New York HarperCollins Lawner Lynne 1987 Lives of the Courtesans Portraits of the Renaissance New York Rizzoli Peletz Michael G Gender Sexuality and Body Politics in Modern Asia Ann Arbor MI Association for Asian Studies 2007 Print Rounding Virginia 2003 Grandes Horizontales The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth Century Courtesans London BloomsburyFurther reading EditMartha Feldman Bonnie Gordon The courtesan s arts cross cultural perspectives pp 312 352 Sanjay K Gautam Foucault and the Kamasutra The Courtesan the Dandy and the Birth of Ars Erotica as Theater in India Chicago University of Chicago Press 2016 External links Edit Part VI Introductory Remarks Section about courtesans in Kamasutra by Vatsayayana Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Courtesan amp oldid 1127725200, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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