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The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues

The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues

The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues

The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues

by Griffin, Susan

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Very good/Good
ISBN 10
0333900545
ISBN 13
9780333900543
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Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Item Price
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About This Item

Macmillan. First UK edition-3rd printing. Hardcover. Very good/Good. VGC/GC.Macmillan,2002.First UK edition-3rd printing(3 5 7 9 8 6 4).Tan hardback(stain marks on the edges of the front and back cover,gilt lettering to the spine) in VGC, with Dj(watermarks/stain marks inside the edges of the front and back Dj cover,crease and small nicks on the edges of the Dj cover) in good condition.Illustrated with b/w drawings.Nice and clean pages with a small nick on the outer edges,two small nicks and ink mark on the edges of the pages.The book is in VGC except for the stain marks on the cover and Dj cover.277pp including Glossary,bibliography.Price un-clipped.

Synopsis

From Pulitzer-Prize-nominated author Susan Griffin comes an unprecedented, provocative look at the dazzling world of the West's first independent women, whose lively liaisons brought them unspoken influence, wealth, and freedom.While they charmed some of Europe's most illustrious men honing their social skills as well as their sexual ones, the great courtesans gained riches, power, education, and sexual freedom in a time when other women were denied all of these. From Imperia of sixteenth-century Rome, who personified the Renaissance ideal of beauty; Mme. de Pompadour, the arbiter of all things fashionable in eighteenth-century Paris and Versailles; Liane de Pougy, known in France during the Belle Epoque as "Our National Courtesan"; to Sarah Bernhardt, who, following in her mother's footsteps, supported herself in her early career with a second profession, The Book of the Courtesans tells the life stories and intricacies of the lavish lifestyles of these women. Unlike their geisha counterparts, courtesans neither lived in brothels nor bent their wills to suit their suitors. They were strong- willed, autonomous, and plucky.An open secret, their presence can be felt throughout our culture. The muses who enflamed the hearts and imaginations of our most celebrated artists, they were also artists in their own right. They wrote poetry and novels, invented the cancan at the Moulin Rouge, and presented celebrated acts at the Folies Bergeres. They helped to influence and shape the sensibility of modern literature, painting, and fashion. When Greek sculptor Praxiteles wanted to depict Venus he used a famous courtesan as a model, as in later centuries Titian, Veronese, Raphael, Giorgione, and Boucher did when they painted goddesses. When Marcel Proust was a young man it was the courtesan Laure Hayman who took him under her wing, introducing him to the right people, and providing inspiration for one of literature's greatest masterpieces. And they often had considerable political influence too. When King Louis XV needed advice on foreign affairs or appointments of state he turned to Jeanne du Barry as well as Pompadour.In her witty and insightful prose, as Griffin celebrates these alluring and fascinating women, she restores a lost legacy of women's history. She gives us the stories of these amazing women who, starting from impoverished or unimpressive beginnings, garnered chateaux, fine coaches, fabulous collections of jewelry, and even aristocratic titles along the way. And through a brilliant exploration of their extraordinary abilities, skills, and talents which Griffin playfully categorizes as their virtues "Timing, Beauty, Cheek, Brilliance, Gaiety, Grace, and Charm" her book explains how, while helping themselves, through their often outrageous, always entertaining examples, the great courtesans not only enriched our cultural heritage but helped to liberate women from the social, sexual, and economic strictures that confined them.Intensively researched and beautifully crafted, The Book of the Courtesans delves into scintillating but often hidden worlds, telling stories gleaned from many sources, including courtesans' memoirs, presented along with stunning rare photographs to create memorable portraits of some of the most pivotal figures in women's history.

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Details

Bookseller
Alpha 2 Omega Books GB (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #
3899
Title
The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues
Author
Griffin, Susan
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
Used - Very good
Jacket Condition
Good
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First UK edition-3rd printing
ISBN 10
0333900545
ISBN 13
9780333900543
Publisher
Macmillan
Place of Publication
London
This edition first published
2002
Keywords
Griffin, Susan The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues
Bookseller catalogs
History : Europe;

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