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Luisa Casati: How an orphan became an opium-era socialite and goddess of decadence. Louise Casati

Luisa Casati: How an orphan became an opium-era socialite and goddess of decadence. Louise Casati

In 1957, a modest monument to the Marquise Louise Casati appeared on the rich Brompton Cemetery in Kensington-Chelsea in London, which is decorated only with Shakespeare's lines, in Pasternak's translation they sound like this: “Her diversity has no end. Age and habit are powerless before her.” At the beginning of the 20th century, this name thrilled the whole of Europe. Friendship with this woman was proud of the inspirer and organizer of the "Russian Seasons" Sergei Diaghilev and pianist Arthur Rubinstein, ballerina Anna Pavlova and fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, her portraits were painted by Giovanni Boldini and Pablo Picasso, costumes for her were created by Paul Poiret and Lev Bakst, decorations by Erte, her photographed by Man Ray and Cecil Beaton. About 130 portraits of her alone were made. To receive an invitation to balls and carnivals arranged by the marquise in the best palaces in the world was a matter of honor for the most noble families ...

The motto of her whole life was desire - become a living work of art, a masterpiece.

The famous portrait of Giovanni Boldini Marquis Luis Casati with a greyhound 1908

Luisa Casati was born in 1881. Louise spent her childhood in Milan, where her father, a native of Austria, a wealthy industrialist, received the title of count from King Umberto I. Louise received her title of Marquise at the age of 19, having married twenty-three-year-old Camilo Casati. Their honeymoon in Paris fell at the time of the 1900 World's Fair.

Parisian artist, master of "dry needle" Paul Cesar Elle became the author of the first portrait of Louise after her marriage. The sepia engraving, made during the honeymoon trip, depicts a refined Belle Epoque belle époque (modern) woman in a black feathered hat with picturesquely disheveled hair and wonderful large eyes with a hypnotic gaze, into which she later buried belladonna, to make them even bigger and brighter.

Upon their return from Paris, the newlyweds settled in the Villa Casati in Rome. Like most wealthy couples, they weren't content with one residence. A specially hired driver takes them from one house to another in a newly acquired Mercedes. The Marquise takes care of herself and pays a lot of attention to the arrangement of their palaces, she has an exquisite taste, which she acquired as a child, looking at fashion magazines with her mother. Soon, the Marquise's appearance is as widely discussed as her home. In public, she appears in handmade Venetian lace, her outfits are distinguished by puffy sleeves, long trains and brocade belts trimmed with diamonds. She emphasizes the natural pallor of her face with powder, and circles her eyes with charcoal, making them unnaturally huge and frightening. Her favorite colors are black and white. The main detail of the dress is a long string of pearls, wrapped around her neck in several layers.

Adolf de Meyer photo 1912

Relations with her husband soon cease to interest the Marquise, as well as the upbringing of the born daughter. The husband calmly treats her many hobbies, devoting all his time to dogs and horses. In 1914 they will part and live separately, but the spouses will finally part only in 1924. In doing so, Casati will become the first Catholic woman in the world to receive an official divorce.

D. Boldini Marquise Luisa Casati with peacock feather

Interestingly, as a child, Louise did not differ in appearance or special ingenuity, she lost her parents early, was a shy, withdrawn child who did not like guests. The only thing that attracted the girl were her huge emerald eyes. “I want to become a living masterpiece,” she once said. And she made herself a masterpiece ... The Marchesa Casati became the most famous muse of the beginning of the last century. Artists painted and sculpted it, poets sang beauty, couturiers competed for the right to wear it. The heroine of several novels and the inspirer of hundreds of poems, she collected palaces and exotic animals, spent fortunes on sumptuous feasts, arranging delightful bacchanalia... There is a book about her in Russian called The Furious Marquise: The Life and Legend of Luisa Casati. Authors: Scott D. Ryersson, Michael Orlando Iaccarino. Published by the Slovo / Slovo publishing house in 2006 with numerous illustrations.

Leon Bakst Louise Casati in Indian costume 1912
(one of almost 40 costumes made for her by Bakst)

Among her admirers and lovers were Gabriele d'Annunzio, Marinetti, Robert de Montesquieu, Jean Cocteau, but nevertheless the famous poet and playwright of that time Gabriel D'Annunzio became the main person of her life for many years. Their acquaintance took place on a hunt, and the first impression of the marquise from the poet was monstrous. “Small in stature, he was bald and looked like a hard-boiled egg and set in a Faberge stand” - this is how D’Annunzio’s appearance was described. But the man was so courteous and charming that the flaws in his appearance were forgotten when he began to speak. It was not for nothing that Eleonora Duse and Ida Rubinstein were among the ladies he conquered. Soon everyone and sundry gossip about their romance, and newspapers publish caricatures of the triple union of Louise, Camilo and Gabriel. But the scandalous fame not only does not upset the lovers, but, it seems, on the contrary, it inspires. Louise every day appears in the world in a new outfit, shaking the public's imagination with their luxury and elegance, they begin to talk about her as the most elegant woman in Europe - the muse of her time.

Gabriel D" Annunzio

Soon the Marchioness gets bored with Rome. In general, she gets tired of any things, even those that once delighted her, quite quickly. Instead of the Roman palace of Casati, the Marquis decides to take on the arrangement of the Venetian palazzo. Moreover, D’Annunzio in each letter persuades her to move to this city - “a work of art and love.” Despite the endless talk about her eccentricities, Venice seems to have unconditionally accepted the creator of shocking (only neighbors remained dissatisfied). As soon as a gondola appeared on the waters of the Grand Canal, in which Louise sat in breathtaking outfits embracing cheetahs, the audience froze with delight, then applause followed. Soon, Casati merged with the atmosphere of the city so much that she arranged balls right on Piazza San Marco. Could such a daredevil be found in the power of the city who would decide to ban Casati?

Manuel Orazzi Casati welcomes guests on the steps of the Palazzo dei Leoni 1913

Ted Kokonis Louise Casati 2003

Joseph Page- Frederiks 1940

The first sketches of her famous portrait of Boldini (which she especially favored) were made in Venice. The work had to be completed in Paris, where the marquise moved specifically in order to pose for the famous portrait painter. Every morning she came to his studio, dressed in a tight-fitting Paul Poiret dress in black satin trimmed with ermine. A bouquet of silk violets was pinned to her belt, and a purple scarf was wrapped around the marquise's silk-gloved hands. At the feet of the marquise sat a black greyhound in a silver collar. A year later, the portrait was exhibited at the Paris Salon. The heroine of "Portrait of a Young Lady with a Dog" becomes a byword. All of France wants to meet Casati. But she, having paid the artist 20,000 francs, crazy money for those times, is already far away: the most interesting chapter of her life begins in Venice.

Adolphe de Meyer photo by Louise Casati 1912

Man Ray Luisa Casati dressed as Empress Elisabeth of Austria

Casati dressed as Empress Theodora

A great connoisseur of painting, Louise was known as a great philanthropist, she patronized many names, known and unknown. Supported artists, poets, musicians: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Alberto Martini, Giovanni Boldini, Arthur Rubinstein and many others. Casati's acquaintance with Rubinstein began with a big misunderstanding: for the first time he noticed the Marquise in subdued lighting in the salon of a hotel, saw her black, charcoal-lined eyes, purple hair, and, frightened, screamed ... But then Casati completely fascinated the musician and supported him financially, about which he himself mentioned in his memoirs. Pages are devoted to her in the memoirs of Felix Yusupov and Isadora Duncan, who danced in her palace and was her friend. The Marquise gave balls at which Nijinsky danced with Isadora Duncan; she became the muse of the Italian Futurists; with her assistance, an incomparable performance of the puppet theater was staged to the music of Ravel. Casati was a legislator, she inspired geniuses everywhere and entertained the most jaded aristocrats.

Augustus John Louise Casati 1919

Augustus John 1942

Her life is a chic game, a performance with the only actress - Luisa Casati. In her life, she loved animals, art and men with women preferred not to communicate. The image of the Marchesa Casati became the reason for the creation of fashion collections for John Galliano, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Erte. . The world of fashion and cinema has not forgotten her extravagance, in fact, even a completely ugly woman, but elegant and able to present herself to society in such a way that this ugliness of hers has become her trademark and still captivates many. Her countless pictorial, sculptural, photographic portraits are enough to fill a huge gallery.

Lev Bakst Sketch 1912

Having lost her wealth, burdened with debts (by 1930, her personal debt was $ 25 million), Louise Casati moved to London to her daughter, where for many years she lived quite modestly, without her former splendor. The forgotten and impoverished Marquise Louise Casati died at the age of 76 from a hemorrhage in the brain during a séance, in the arms of his granddaughter, outliving his own daughter.

Roberto Montenegro Portrait of Lisa Casati 1914

Glory came to her even after death, first, the novelist Maurice Druon, who became friends with Casati during the war, described her in the novel The Voluptuousness of Being, later in the play The Countess, written on its basis, Elvira Popescu and Vivien Leigh played the main role, and in the film adaptation of Vincente Minelli's Time will show.” — Ingrid Bergman. In 1964, the famous playwright Tennessee Williams wrote the play "The Milky Rivers Have Dried Up Here", where Casati again became the main prototype, later in the movie "Boom" she was played by Elizabeth Taylor. The image of the Muse of the last century to this day continues to excite the minds of artists, writers, playwrights, filmmakers, fashion designers, inspiring and delighting more and more new generations. “In her life, this woman has never betrayed the legend,” said writer Philip Julian about her.

Natalia Goncharova Portrait of Louise Casati 1917

According to the Internet

"I want to become a living work of art"

Louise Casatti, the most extravagant woman in Europe, has created a truly fantastic world around her - with a unique lifestyle, fashion, interior, feelings and emotions. Marquise, muse, goddess, witch, actress, philanthropist, patron of the arts.

She was showered with diverse and most unexpected epithets: "Gorgon Medusa with hair soaked in caviar and champagne, madcap, witch ..." She managed to successfully realize her motto: "I want to become a living work of art." In her numerous temples-villas, she held the famous theatrical costume carnivals, dedicating them to the great people of the past.

Luisa Casati brought to life the eternal and indestructible dream of many women about a free, beautiful and independent life, moreover, a luxurious and outrageous life elevated to the rank of Art. She lived beautifully and freely, for her pleasure, like a real Goddess.

In her luxurious gardens, drowning,

Among the birds of paradise, terry roses flowers,

Opening themselves, fragrant blossomed,

Moths circled around

What clouds, fluttering over everything;

The corners of the lanterns were all around.

And in this garden - an alcove of heaven,

There was a marquise more beautiful than all flowers.

Louise has always been very different from everyone around her with her unusual appearance and clothes. Imagine, the Marquise goes for a walk with two cheetahs on leashes with diamond collars, throwing a leopard mantle or luxurious fur coat over her naked body. And instead of jewelry, she often wore a necklace of living snakes around her neck, with which she kissed.

Men in the life of Luisa Casati

They say that behind every successful woman is a man. There were several behind Luisa Casati. Her husband contributed to the beginning of her creative ascent. Very nice Marquis Camillo Casati Stampa di Soncino Marquis di Roma, a native of the oldest Milanese family, met one fine day with a young and modest Louise and almost immediately proposed to her, he was 21 years old, and she was 18. And at nineteen she was already married Camillo, and their daughter Christina was born in marriage. The impoverished marquis had a title, a circle of well-known and famous people. Luisa was the youngest daughter of the wealthy cotton merchant Alberto Amman, a native of Austria, who was granted the title of count by King Umberto I of Italy.

For the Marquis Casati, the most important thing was to be able to do what he loved - hunting. He hunted, and she was formed as a future star of the European beau monde, gradually gaining prominence place in high society.

Louisa soon took on a lover. They became the famous poet Gabriele d'Annunzio. At that time, not only her numerous portraits by famous artists were very popular, but also one caricature in which Louise was depicted embracing this famous lover, the poet d'Annunzio, in the middle of the bed of the marquis.

Although the Marchesa Casati spent her childhood and adolescence in Milan, it was d'Annunzio who instilled in her a passion for Venice, often telling her about this amazing city. First he was her lover, and then a friend. Moreover, he was one of those who helped to reveal in her her rare talent of the Goddess and "conquer" Europe.

It is said that the Marquis of Casati reacted almost indifferently to his wife's love affair, at least there were no family scandals. Louise still had many virtues, and he appreciated l them to the fullest. She did not restrict his freedom, bore him a beautiful daughter and, what is very important, enriched his treasury. And yet she was not made for marriage, wife separated, filing for divorce only ten years later. According to legend, Louise Casati became the world's first divorced Catholic. This also contributed to the creation of her image.

If her husband laid the foundation for her ascent, then the poet and writer d'Anunzio was the main figure, her main teacher and adviser, with the help of which the young marquise successfully continued her ascent to the heights of glory. He captivated her both as a man and as a poet and writer, introduced her to many representatives of European bohemia. He dedicated his works to her and it was he who first discovered in her a passion for unusual behavior, theatrical and mythical effects, being an unsurpassed professional in this matter. They were kindred spirits. Louise was 18 years younger than d'Annunzio.

As you know, d'Annunzio saw a goddess in every woman. Louise became Cora for him (this is one of the names of the Greek goddess Persephone). Their relationship, first love, and then friendship, lasted a lifetime. He always remembered her with tenderness and admiration:

“Luisa Casati is a woman of amazing beauty. When I asked with what feeling she wears her proud mask, she replied that it seemed to her as if, as she passed, she triumphantly left her image in the very air, as if it were plaster or wax, and thus perpetuates herself wherever never visited. In these words, she expressed, perhaps, the unconscious desire for power and immortality, inherent in all beauty.

Luisa Casati and Venice

In 1910, Louise bought an old palazzo in Venice - the Venier Palace, whose windows overlooked the Grand Canal. Casati fit perfectly with her extravagant appearance in this amazing city, as different from all others and as individual as she herself. She arranged balls right on Piazza San Marco. But even the Venetians, accustomed to various vivid performances and miracles, showed interest in her palace and garden. Two cheetahs walked in her green garden, thrushes, parrots, peacocks frolicked, and somewhere she got white thrushes and peacocks ... In addition to them, there were numerous primates and her beloved cats. All this living creatures adored Louise and obeyed their Goddess unquestioningly.

Cheetahs, lions, panthers, snakes

Among the paths, at the doors,

Her hands, knees were caressed,

Serving as protection from people

And maybe in the midst of earthly disturbances

Were more reliable than all friends.

They, substituting their manes, tufts

Looking into her eyes, hiccupping Her hands ...

How did she manage to transform herself into a living work of art? Of course, Louise Casati did not immediately become a striking work of art, the timid duck gradually turned into a luxurious swan. At first, she was a modest girl with huge expressive eyes, who indulged in creative fantasies all her free time. And only then did this timid girl turn into a trendsetter, the muse of artists and poets, the organizer of her famous carnival performances and the most extravagant woman in Europe.

Louise started by creating her outer image. Her passion for transformation manifested itself in her youth: even then she liked, wearing an unusual attire, to be bright and noticeable. Later, she began to build her stunning image using incredible courage, imagination, connections and material basis. Then she skillfully learned to get naked, using special clothes for this, as if in a dress and as if naked, it was very erotic with her excellent physical data, it was not in vain that the popular joke of the Venetians about the Marquis Casati “of the clothes she wore only perfume” quickly spread everywhere.

Muse, patron of the arts and generous philanthropist

It is not surprising that Luisa Casati became a living Muse for many famous creative people of that time, Italian futurists, painters and sculptors, the heroine of several popular novels. More than 130 portraits of her by the most famous artists are known. Poets wrote poems about her unusual beauty, couturiers sewed stunning outfits for her ... It is known that she was able to entertain even the most jaded and capricious aristocrats in her performances directed by herself ... But above all, she had fun herself, she did all this primarily for yourself, for your own pleasure.

Louise was a trendsetter, patron of the arts, inspiration of geniuses and a generous patron of the arts. She sponsored many artists, composers, writers, musicians, couturiers, helping famous and unknown, among whom were Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Alberto Martini, Giovanni Boldini, Arthur Rubinstein, Pablo Picasso and many others.

Costumed balls and masquerades alternated one after another. She chose a certain era, interiors were stylized for this era, and guests arrived at the ball dressed as heroes of the chosen time. Once she showed up to the ball in the image of the Byzantine Empress Theodora (Justinian's wife). The life that she created around herself was akin to both theater and cinema - she herself was a director, an actress, and a screenwriter.

In the midst of darkness, Her feasts are filled with fire,

Ancient pictures of Rome came to life here,

In a white tunic, midnight star,

She was like a vine in the midst of a feast;

From obsession eyes close,

A feast of peace opened up before them.

Having torn off the tunic among the half-naked slaves,

The marquise got up; purple cover.

In addition to Venice, there were Rome, Paris, Capri, India, America, London and other places where she played her performances in the natural landscape of life or in her many palaces, creating spectacular scenery with the help of exotic animals, expensive antique works of art, complementing all this with the most famous people of her era, who were entertained at the carnivals and holidays she held.

Elsa Schiaparelli, a well-known Italian stylist, designer, artist, said about her: “This tall, thin woman with wildly made-up eyes dragged along an age of former splendor, an age of wealthy individualists whose only goal was to shock the public.”

Balls and carnivals by Luisa Casatti

One of her contemporaries recalls the splendor of the ball that the Marquise gave in her Parisian palace, the Palais des Roses: “We arrived around midnight in terrible bad weather. It seemed to us that a fabulous vision arose before us. The house was surrounded by a string of tiny electric light bulbs... Footmen in luxurious, gold-embroidered doublets, satin trousers and silk stockings scurried along the paths. In the house, despite the flood, all the stars of the Comédie Francaise and the most famous poets and artists of that time gathered. The reception was truly astounding with splendor ... With her tall stature, in addition, she put on a very high black hat, studded with stars. The faces were not visible under the mask, from under which sparkled to match the diamonds that studded the arms, neck and shoulders, huge eyes. Like a somnambulist, she walked through the halls, bowing to everyone ... ”At the entrance, all guests were presented with golden roses smelling of rose essence.

Finds the dusk; sovereign moon

Hanging like an apple over a quiet river;

As if death, the marquise is cold,

The eyes are outlined, shining with darkness,

Another contemporary recalls another ball dedicated to the memory of Count Cagliostro: “The preparations for the holiday were grandiose. Before the arrival of the guests, the palace garden was lined with burning torches, the tables abounded with food, the servants were dressed in wigs and costumes corresponding to the spirit of the time of the great sorcerer. Who was not here! Peter the Great, Marie Antoinette, Count D'Artois... But the action was reversed by the very forces of nature, such a thunderstorm began that lightning seemed to be about to burn everyone present. There was a terrible panic, and the guests began to scatter in horror in all directions right along the streams of water, and even watered from above. Everything was mixed up: costumes, crinolines, wigs, makeup spread over their faces in streams. It was a terrible sight…”

It is said that Louise had a bitchy nature and she was pleased that her extravagant antics worked for her image. She preferred to communicate more with men than with women, whom she often simply ignored. It was said that during Casati's famous Parisian masquerade in memory of the Count of Cagliostro, the Marquise locked one of the ladies in a closet for the entire evening, in retaliation for trying to copy her costume.

Isadora Duncan, Felix Yusupov, Sergei Diaghilev, Vaslav Nijinsky had fun at the balls, feasts and bacchanalia organized by her ... The house of Louise Casati was a frequent meeting place for the brightest personalities of that era, who were an integral part of the magnificent scenery of these events. At one of her receptions, where Sergei Diaghilev and Vaslav Nijinsky were present, the following incident is described:

“Once, at one of the feasts, after two glasses of wine, Isadora Duncan invited Nijinsky to a waltz. “Yes,” Casati said after the dance. - It is a pity that this boy did not meet me when he was two years old. I would have taught him to dance."

Sometimes Casatti played with dolls. Louise went out with a wax mannequin - with her exact copy - which she seated next to her at the table and spent the evenings like that.

In a leopard cloak for eternal rest

“In her life, this woman never betrayed the legend,” said the writer Philippe Julian. So she rushed through life - like a bright comet, illuminating everything around with a dazzling flame. In this flame of glory, she burned down, subsequently spending all her fortune. This was another strange feature of her - excessive generosity. She felt too great to be petty and squandered on the incarnation her holidays, everything she had, all her palaces and money, moreover, she had there was a debt of $ 30 million unpaid to creditors. But until the end of her life, Louise invariably represented a living work of art. Having become poor, she continued to attract people with her charm.

It used to be that Lou, forgetting, covered the roses

On a black velvet carpet

Taking a candle in her hands, she died:

Laid down in a coffin; her crazy eyes

Dimmed; she faded into darkness

Giving the last ray; palace space

Forever dressed in a shroud before her,

And carried away, lost into oblivion ...

In 1957, at the age of 76, still exquisite and spectacular, Luisa Casati passed away - as theatrical and extravagant as she lived. Throughout her life, she was fond of the occult and magic, and the last event in her life was a seance, after which she died.

Of course, they did not dare to dress her in black clothes. Her beloved granddaughter Moorea, with whom she spent her last years in London, dressed her in the legendary leopard cloak. In the last minutes of her life, her very last friend Sidney Farmer was next to her. He brought her new false eyelashes and a stuffed animal of her beloved Pekingese. The beautiful and mysterious marquise was buried in London at the rich Brompton Cemetery. The famous lines from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra are engraved on the gravestone: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale. Her infinite variety” (“There is no end to her variety. Age and habit are powerless before her”).

When the beautiful flower dies

The world is with him

Grieves and suffers.

The madcap, the witch, the Gorgon Medusa with her hair “soaked in caviar and champagne”, she is an “allegory of nauseating grandeur” with ruby claws - only spoke of her. Goddess, dazzling Persephone, "living metamorphosis", eternal muse - said others. Photo above PHOTOSHOT/VOSTOCK PHOTO

The Marquise Casati evoked strange feelings among her contemporaries: for outside observers she was a rich eccentric, for people close and who knew her well, she was a subtle, refined, intelligent aesthetic. Artists painted it tirelessly - she kindled a fire in them. And one of the most fashionable poets of the era, the famous heartthrob Gabriele d'Annunzio, fell in love with her at first sight.

And what of the fact that she lived in a fantasy world and, while entertaining herself, entertained others?

Louise Amman was born in a "golden cradle". Her father, Alberto Amman, was a major European industrialist - he owned a textile factory in Pordenone, producing cotton fabrics. He inherited his interest in textile production from his father, a native of the Austrian city of Bregenz, Franz Severin Ammann, who once moved from Austria to Italy, where he founded two weaving factories (one near Milan), and became Francesco Saverio. His son, Alberto, proved to be just as successful - in addition to manufacturing in Pordenone, he headed the Association of the Italian Cotton Industry, of which he was the founder. At the age of 32, in 1879, he married a 22-year-old Viennese (from an Austrian-Italian family) Lucia Bressi. A year later, on January 22, the couple had their first daughter, Francesca, and a year later, on January 23, 1881, their second daughter, who was christened Louise Adele Rosa Maria. Both girls were destined for prosperity. Parents by that time had several houses, including a mansion in the royal park of Villa Reale in Monza and Villa Amalia on the shores of Lake Como. Of course, King Umberto I was familiar with Alberto Amman and noted him among his subjects. One of the King's recognitions is the count of Alberto.

Not much is known about Louise's childhood.

She was brought up by governesses, was a reserved child, did not like noisy gatherings and especially visiting guests. Louise preferred to spend her time in seclusion, such as painting. But most of all, she loved to talk to her mother, as children do who want to communicate with their parents more.

Her mother, Lucia Amman, looked at children's drawings in the evenings, flipped through popular fashion magazines with the girls. A young, shining woman knew everything about the beauty and fashionable dresses of that time. And Louise had a special passion for this topic. She could spend a long time, as well as drawing, at the open wardrobes of her mother: to study the details of numerous outfits and precious jewelry. Lucia was very fond of pearls, and later Louise would also wear pearl strands in several rows, as if these strands would connect her with a youth that ended early ...

In the spring of 1894, at the age of 37, Lucia died suddenly. Count Alberto was inconsolable: for happy life family, he seemed to have done absolutely everything, but who would know what happiness is?

He outlived his wife by only two years.

The girls were taken care of by their uncle Edoardo Amman, Alberto's younger brother. The sisters, who inherited a huge fortune, by that time were 16 and 15 years old.

The beginning of the carnival

Surprisingly, before marriage, apart from huge and frightening eyes, nothing in Louise betrayed her future super-exaltation, addictions to grandiose carnivals, balls, endless reincarnations, her ability to take a special place in the minds of artists and poets and create incredible excitement around herself. How did the shy, timid Louise turn into an eccentric marquise, one of the most famous women Europe?

And why does its phenomenon not fit into the framework of popular psychophysiological theories, like modern theories personality?

The high-profile story of Louise began, of course, from childhood, with a lack of attention, which, as you know, is then necessarily compensated. Then a tragedy occurred in her family - the loss of her parents; she left her mark on the initial isolation and timidity of Louise - there were no people with whom she was warm and comfortable. Restoring the images of her lovely mother in her memory, Louise began to create more and more of her own images, as if in continuation of that glorious journey into the world of fashion, which Lucia had revealed to her. And suddenly, as time passed, at some point she realized that she had an amazing ability - to “hide behind a suit” and in this very suit to be different from everyone else, to stand out from their background. So a long-standing desire came true - to be noticed. This, of course, is not all the motives that formed her originality. There is another, material, inheritance. But even with him, the explanation of the Casati phenomenon will be incomplete, since the most important secret was hidden, of course, in herself. In a generous nature, an explosive character, an undoubted sense of beauty and dignity.

The first step on the path to Louise's fame was her marriage, in which the countess became a marchioness and remained so after a divorce. And in the case of marriage, as, indeed, in other events in Louise's life, she cannot be convicted of self-interest or a built strategy - she was too rich for this. Everything happened quite unexpectedly - in the green eyes of the young, graceful and timid countess, as in a bottomless pool, one enviable groom drowned - the Marquis Camillo Casati Stampa di Soncino, a native of the oldest Milanese family. He was enviable precisely because he belonged to a noble family, but by no means in the sense of his fortune. When he offered Louise his hand and heart, he was 21, and she was 18. After the engagement, courtship, preparations for the celebration, and, finally, after the celebration itself, which took place on June 22, 1900, the newlyweds left for Paris, where the World Exhibition was held, and then they returned to the villa of Camillo Casati and spent time: he was hunting, she was in communication (in marriage, the circle of her acquaintances increased and replenished with various well-known names) and at the tables of seances. Passion for the occult and black magic was then ubiquitous. Both in Europe and in America, the wealthy public guessed, found out the future, spoke with the spirits of the dead. Louise has been doing this all her life. Fortune tellers, astrologers and others like them lived in her palaces for years, like oracles under the empress. And among the objects surrounding her in last days, when there was no trace left of the state of the seventy-year-old marquise, there was a case made of crystal, in which, as she explained, the phalanx of St. Peter was kept: he threw it at Casati during a spiritualistic session ...

Biographers Louise Scot D. Ryersson and Michael Orlando Iaccarino tend to think that the world-famous image of the Marquise was originally influenced by a certain Christina Trivulzio, the heroine of the 19th century Italian creative bohemia. The latter also had huge, expressive eyes and was too fond of magic. True, Louise was born when Christina had already been in another world for ten years, but friends of both Louise and Camillo noted the unprecedented portrait resemblance of these women. Casati herself was so imbued with them that she named her only daughter Christina, who was born in the middle of the summer of 1901 ...

Persecutor of longing

Gabriele d "Annunzio, one of the most famous and fashionable European poets and novelists, crept up to Louise's heart imperceptibly in the third year of her family life. Short, bald and infinitely energetic, D" Annunzio was an outspoken ladies' man, had numerous affairs with wealthy women, among which was the inimitable actress Eleonora Duse. Louise was already bored with marriage by this time, Camillo was most interested in hunting and dogs, and she was engaged in maintaining order in their many houses and villas. In some photographs of this period, Louise's eyes show longing. But how everything changed with the arrival of D'Annunzio in her life, who captivated the Marquis with both passion and literature. With his light hand Louise became Cora (he called her one of the names of the Greek goddess Persephone), and together they began to "color" each other's lives. Casati and D'Annunzio will carry their feelings with varying degrees of intensity to the end, until the death of the poet in the seventy-fourth year of his life.

Portrait of a great friend

“This bald, nondescript dwarf, in a conversation with a woman, was transformed primarily in the eyes of the interlocutor. He seemed to her almost like Apollo, because he knew how to easily and unobtrusively give every woman the feeling that she is the center of the universe, ”Isadora Duncan recalled about Gabriele d“ Annunzio ... And this was not the only “contradiction” in his infinitely talented brawler nature , adventurer, heartthrob, lover of life, poet, playwright and even a pilot - a lover of heights! It was about him that the Italian futurists wrote in their program manifesto: "The gods die, but D" Annunzio remains! He came from a rich and well-born family (the real name of the poet is Rapagnetta), and despite numerous legends about the places where the future poet was supposedly born, he was born in 1863 in his home, in the provincial Italian city of Pescara, founded back in antiquity. The poetic talent of D "Annunzio was discovered long before entering the university in the department of literature and philology. And his first poetry collection was published in 1879, when Gabriel was sixteen years old. It was a real debut, after which poetic inspiration did not leave D" Annunzio, barely managing to acquire a verbal form in a series of his many hobbies. The host of wonderful creations of the poet is worth mentioning separately. In the memoirs of D'Annunzio's contemporaries, there is evidence that at the end of his life he compiled a huge card file of his love affairs. It occupied a separate room and was kept in Villa Vittoriale. Rome, while studying, and then tirelessly "improved" it. The atmosphere in which the poet surrounded himself can be imagined from the list made by creditors, who saw a harp in a suede case, fangs of a wild boar, a gilded statuette of Antinous, altar doors, Japanese lanterns, a white deer skin, twenty-two carpets, a collection of ancient weapons embroidered with beads screen ... At the age of 20, D "Annunzio married a young, charming girl, an aristocrat Maria di Gallese, who ran away from home because of him. They did not live together for long, however, they managed to acquire three children. And then the novels of D" Annunzio unfolded one after another others, anticipating the erotic scenes of his novels and leading the poet to a series of duels. The result of one of them is his bald head. (The doctor treating the wound on his head used too much antiseptic solution ...) In 1889, Gabriel d'Annunzio's first novel, Pleasure, was published, after which he becomes even more popular. An exponent of individualistic aestheticism, he finds himself, as they say, on the crest of a wave. And then - the drama "A Dream in Autumn Twilight", the novels "The Triumph of Death", "The Maiden of the Rocks", "Innocent Victim" and much more ... In addition to literary creativity D "Annunzio is also known as a tireless public and political figure who became a participant in a variety of events of the time: during the war of 1914-1918, he launched a campaign for Italy to participate in this war (on the side of the Entente), wrote various speeches chauvinistic. When Italy entered the war, he went to the front as a volunteer ... After the war, in 1919, being at the head of a military detachment, he occupied the city of Fiume, which seemed to his associates a stronghold of capitalism in the Balkans. After the Fiume defeat, he began to show interest in fascism, then in the Franciscan order. And finally, having entered a venerable age, partly departs from vigorous activity, indulging in reflections and memories.

Cats and gazelles

Costumed balls and masquerades of the Marquis began to arrange in the possessions of Casati, this hobby was also fashionable in rich houses. A certain era was chosen, the interiors were stylized, and the guests arrived at the ball in costumes of the heroes of the chosen time. For the most part, these masquerades were charitable and attracted a large number of participants. Louise conquered those present both with outfits and with the ability to get used to the image. In 1905, the public trembled at the sight of Casati in the guise of the Byzantine Empress Theodora (Justinian's wife). Her costume, jewelry and face under the make-up were so believable that it seemed that time had turned back - and the real Theodora, who had just left the Ravenna mosaic, was standing in front of the audience. At the masquerade of the same year, which took place in the presence of the royal couple in the Quirinal Palace, the Marquise Casati arrived in a dress made of gold embroidery and riveted the views of the public to her for an indecently long time. Although to captivate with a suit - is it indecent? Here is a huge python instead of a dress - another matter, or a leopard mantle thrown over a naked body. It is no coincidence that it was often said about the Marquise that today, apart from perfumes, there was nothing on her.

The affair with D'Annunzio liberated Louise: her natural timidity at first hid behind unusual, fabulously expensive costumes, and then completely degenerated into an unprecedented scale of outrageousness. It seemed that secular gossip about her scandalous chosen one flew away from Casati without touching her, apparently , and really didn’t touch all kinds of barbs and caricatures addressed to them, or maybe, on the contrary, she enjoyed them. I wonder with what feeling she looked at the caricature popular at that time, in which she was depicted in an embrace with D "Annunzio in the middle Marquis bed. Camillo reacted to this indifferently. And on the whole, it seems, he turned out to be a noble gentleman, that is, he understood that Louise very, very replenished his modest fortune, that she did not interfere with his passion for hunting and, most importantly, gave him a wonderful child. What more could a real Marquis want?

In 1906, the spouses, distant from each other, suddenly caught fire in a common cause - the construction of a mansion in Rome. As if for the endless conversations of her rich neighbors, Louise decorated the mansion contrary to all traditions, the dominant here was black and white interiors. But the biggest passion of the marquise was, of course, not Venetian mirrors and luxurious curtains, but animals. She surrounded herself with them all her life, and in such quantity that even at the end of her journey, having no means of subsistence, living in state-owned rooms, she kept five or six Pekingese - her favorite breed. Sometimes she really had nothing to eat, but she got food for the dogs: from acquaintances, friends, grocers. When, having grown old, one of the dogs died, the marquise asked to make a stuffed animal out of it.

Numerous Siamese, Persian and other cats happily lived in the new Roman mansion, a huge mastiff Angelina guarded the garden next to them, greyhounds ran in the house in collars with large diamonds (with which she is depicted in several paintings).

“I entered the lobby, decorated in Greek style, and sat down, waiting for the marchioness to appear. Suddenly, I heard a tirade of unthinkably vulgar language addressed to me. I looked around and saw a green parrot. He sat on a perch, not tied. I hurriedly got up and went into the next drawing room, deciding to wait for the Marquis there. And suddenly I heard a menacing growl - rrrr! In front of me was a white bulldog. He, too, was not on a chain, and I ran out into the next room, lined and hung with bearskins. Here I heard an ominous hiss: in a cage, a huge cobra slowly rose and hissed at me ... ”- the dancer Isadora Duncan recalled in“ My Life ”.

At the main entrance to this mansion, guests were greeted by two gazelles cast in gold. And all the inhabitants of this splendor were so peculiar that it was not easy to figure out which of them was more and who was less "natural".

Disliked in the closet!

Who did the marquise love more: animals or people? Rather, the first. And from people preferred men. She had practically no friendship with women, she managed to communicate with only a few friends. In relation to others - for example, to the ladies present at her balls, she could show various unkindness. Contemporaries said that during the infamous Parisian masquerade, hosted by Casati in memory of Count Cagliostro, for trying to copy her costume, the Marquise imprisoned one of the ladies in a closet for the whole evening.

Louise was known as a great philanthropist. A great connoisseur of painting, she patronized many names, known and unknown. Supported artists, poets, musicians: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Alberto Martini, Giovanni Boldini, Arthur Rubinstein and many others.

Casati's acquaintance with Rubinstein began with a big misunderstanding: for the first time he noticed the marchioness in subdued lighting in the salon of a hotel, saw her black, charcoal-lined eyes, purple hair, and, frightened, screamed ... But then Casati completely fascinated the musician and supported him financially, which is evidenced by - his memoirs. And for Boldini, the marquise had special feelings at all. Their acquaintance led to wonderful results - extraordinary portraits of Casati, who, at the invitation of the artist, rushed to Paris, to his studio, spent quite a lot of time near Boldini, and in 1908 the painting “Marquise Louise Casati with a Greyhound” appeared, which received a storm of applause in the Parisian Salon.

Venice and Venier dei Leoni

In 1910, Casati made the purchase of the century - an old Venetian palazzo - the Palace of the Veniers. The marquise had been torn to Venice for a long time: D'Annunzio tirelessly told her about this wonderful city. And now the dream came true, the windows of her current palace overlooked the main artery of the city - the Grand Canal. nothing impossible.Having good taste, she restored it (thoroughly strengthening the building), while maintaining the spirit of antiquity.The original person launched two cheetahs into the palace garden, greyhounds moved here from Rome, and over time, the green oasis completely began to look like an incredible zoo with thrushes, parrots, a peacock (thrushes and a peacock were white), dogs, numerous primates, and also cats.Again, contemporaries of the Marquise noted that Louise had extraordinary authority among all living creatures, the animals obeyed her and practically did not show discontent with each other. Cheetahs have become a favorite topic of the guests and acquaintances of the Marquise, that just did not write about them, as well as about the next passion of Casati - snakes. There is a known case when, in 1915, during a trip to America on the Leviathan liner, the marquise's boa constrictor disappeared. And she, having barely survived this loss, upon arrival in New York, immediately asked to buy a new boa constrictor ...

Despite the endless talk about her eccentricities, Venice seems to have unconditionally accepted the creator of outrageousness (only the neighbors remained dissatisfied): as soon as a gondola appeared on the waters of the Grand Canal, in which Louise sat in breathtaking outfits hugging cheetahs, the audience froze with delight. Soon, Casati merged with the atmosphere of the city so much that she arranged balls right on Piazza San Marco. Could such a daredevil be found in the power of the city who would decide to ban Casati?

Bowl with flowers

To cheetahs and boas, you must definitely add wax figure marquise - otherwise the list of her eccentricities will be incomplete. Before making her exact wax copy, Casati bought another doll - a copy of the unfortunate Baroness Maria Vechera, who in fact was shot in Mayerling Castle in 1889 by her beloved Prince Rudolf (son of Emperor Franz Joseph I). Casati used to take turns seating these dolls at the table. Imagine the state of the guests entering the dining room and taking their seats next to them. Louise asked her to dress her own copy in the same way as herself. Why did she need these dolls? As a prank tool? Or maybe, being carried away by magic, she assigned them a different role? It is interesting to know what kind of eyes the doll-copy of the Marquise had, could they be similar to her real ones? They say that the brilliance of the latter was explained simply: Louise instilled drops of belladonna into herself, and then lined her eyes with charcoal (which is why Rubinstein mentioned above was frightened), and even glued five-centimeter eyelashes.

But what these black-green eyes turned out to be on the canvases of Alberto Martini, Giovanni Boldini, Kees van Dongen, who created a series of portraits of Casati! On one of them (“Bowl of Flowers”), Louise, depicted next to the bowl, herself exudes an unusual aroma of temptation. Van Dongen was so inflamed with her that he refused to sell his work and returned to her image for seven years. And in 1921, he even settled in the Palazzo Dei Leoni, running away from the Parisian critics. Their romance-cooperation turned out to be, as in the case of the poet D "Annunzio, infinitely fruitful: they fed on each other's energy, passions and imaginations. Although it is hardly possible to compare her short relationship with Van Dongen with a life-long romance - with D " Annunzio. Wherever Louise lived, she would certainly return to her poet, bring gifts, postcards, and write to him from everywhere during her absence. Once her gift-message exceeded all expectations. The Marquise sent the poet a parcel with a turtle purchased from the Hamburg Zoo. And the poet "answered" her with a small black alligator, in any case, so their acquaintances said. Turtle Heli lived with D "Annunzio for almost five years, but then, right before the arrival of the Marquise - and this must have happened - she ate tuberoses in the garden of his mansion and was poisoned. Knowing how Cora, dear to her heart, would be sad, the poet ordered Heli golden armor and laid her in this guise on a satin pillow, apparently assuming that the effect of this spectacle would somewhat alleviate Louise's bitterness of loss.

Extravagance behind the curtain

The Marquise finally broke up with her husband in 1914, and received an official divorce only in 1924. Christina turned 13 in 1914 and stayed with her mother. But what does "stay" mean? The daughter first lived in a strict Roman Catholic monastery, and then studied at Oxford University, which she never graduated from. And the carnival of Louise's life continued, however, now on a smaller scale: the entertainment events of the European beau monde were reduced due to the First World War. And after the war, the world became completely different, and Casati could not help but feel it. Her lifestyle has also changed, although, of course, she has not become less eccentric.

The fate of Christina turned out to be completely different from the fate of her mother. In 1925, she married Francis John Clarence Western Plantagenet, Viscount Hastings, against the wishes of her lover's parents, and settled in England. Her husband was engaged in painting and even subsequently created a portrait of his infamous mother-in-law. In 1928, Christina gave birth to a girl, who was named Moureya.

The marquise's granddaughter will play a special role in her sunset life: she is one of the few who will be next to Louise in her old age. Christina will part with Hastings, marry a second time, but will die at 51. So, gradually, close people will leave the Marquise ...

The pranks of Count Cagliostro

Especially loud and sometimes scandalous fame Casati was given by the events associated with a series of her balls in 1927. One of them, May (it, however, turned out to be the most “quiet”), was captured by Isadora Duncan’s assistant Mary Desty in the book Untold Stories: “We arrived around midnight in terrible bad weather. It seemed to us that a fabulous vision arose before us. The house was surrounded by a string of tiny electric light bulbs... Footmen in luxurious, gold-embroidered doublets, satin trousers and silk stockings scurried along the paths. In the house, despite the flood, all the stars of the Comédie Francaise and the most famous poets and artists of that time gathered. The reception was truly astounding with splendor ... This thin woman (marquise. - Approx. ed.) Was about a meter and eighty tall, and in addition she put on a very high black hat studded with stars. The faces were not visible under the mask, from under which sparkled to match the diamonds that studded the arms, neck and shoulders, huge eyes. Like a somnambulist, she walked through the halls, bowing to everyone, as if one of the invitees ... ”It was called the Golden Rose Ball. Further, Mary Desty notes that in memory of the splendor she saw, she kept a golden rose for a long time, inside of which there was a tiny capsule with rose essence - golden flowers were distributed to guests before leaving. This ball was surprisingly calm, but another - in memory of Count Cagliostro, arranged a month later, failed. He was preparing in the Parisian mansion of Casati - the Palais-Rose, which belonged to Count Robert de Montesquieu before her. The preparations for the feast were great. Before the arrival of the guests, the palace garden was lined with burning torches, the tables abounded with food, the servants were dressed in wigs and costumes corresponding to the spirit of the time of the great sorcerer. Who was not here! Peter the Great, Marie Antoinette, Count d "Artois ... But the action was reversed by the forces of nature themselves, such a thunderstorm began that lightning seemed to be about to burn everyone present. A terrible panic arose, and the guests began to scatter in horror in all directions right along streams of water, and even poured from above.Everything was mixed up: costumes, crinolines, wigs, makeup spread over their faces in streams.It was a terrible sight.

Louise will be able to pay all the bills for this masquerade with great difficulty, seeking funds already from the remnants of her fortune.

And from that moment on, her debts grew steadily. First, the contents of the palace went under the hammer, and then the building itself, and most importantly, the extraordinary “Hermitage” of Casati, where, they say, there were about 130 works dedicated to her. And if you imagine what names were present in this gallery, then you can get an idea of the amount of debt. Although the Marquise never knew how to be diligent, what are such facts worth that she could pay the taxi driver precious stones. By the way, one of the golden gazelles was acquired at that time by Coco Chanel ...

In 1938, her most sincere friend, D "Annunzio, died. Casati did not go to his funeral. Maybe she remembered the fact that the poet did not respond to her request for a loan before the auction in the Palais-Rose. But what should have been the amount this loan?! The Marquise did not go into such details. Or maybe she simply did not want to see him dead, she was not at her daughter's funeral either ...

In her old age, the Marquise continued to be Luisa Casati and, just like a magnet, attracted people to her. The last fifteen years have repeatedly tested her strength, and she has not changed her thirst for life. According to biographers, Scot D. Ryersson and Michael Orlando Iaccarino, the environment in which she lived was completely different from the previous one. Once one of the richest women in Europe, she was content with a sofa stuffed with horsehair, an old bathtub and a broken cuckoo clock. At the same time, Casati continued to entertain herself and visiting friends, whose number was greatly reduced: she made collages from newspaper and magazine clippings. And her work, as always, was imbued with fiction and originality.

On June 1, 1957, Luisa Casati became part of eternity. She died for her favorite entertainment - at the end of the seance. Her granddaughter dressed her in the legendary leopard costume, the last friend of the marquise, Sidney Farmer, brought her new false eyelashes, as well as a stuffed animal of her beloved Pekingese, who sheltered at the feet of her dearest mistress.

The beautiful marquise rests in London at Brompton Cemetery.

"Marquise Luisa Casati lived a fantastic life, literally making herself a living work of art."
Georgina Chapman.

Art Nouveau dress

Marquise Louise Casati loved the clothes of Mariano Fortuny and Paul Poiret. One of the dresses from 1912, which will now be discussed, was recreated in 2011 by Marchesa. A typical Poiret tunic in the form of a "shade" over a narrow and long skirt, ending in a fan on the floor.

Marquise Luisa Casati is the most eccentric beauty of the last century.

She amazed society with her fantastic and luxurious outfits. She was always in the center of attention of society, she was always admired - her beauty, wealth ... Louise Casati had the most expensive houses, the most exquisite interiors, she gave the most grandiose balls and receptions. And extravagant outfits for Louise were created by the best fashion designers of that time: Lev Bakst, Paul Poiret,.

She conquered Paris, walking along its streets in the outfits of Fortuny, holding two greyhounds on leashes, which had turquoise collars. At the Paris Opera, she appeared before the public in a dress made of heron feathers, which, with her every movement, flew around and gradually “undressed” the marquise. Often with her for a walk were her companions - cheetahs with diamonds in collars.

Sculptor Ekaterina Baryatinskaya left one of the most picturesque descriptions of Casati’s style: “I saw not a woman, but a work of art ... Wide Persian trousers made of heavy golden brocade, tightly tied at the ankles with skillfully worked diamond clasps. On her feet are gold sandals with high diamond heels. The neckline ended at a wide brocade belt ... ".

She shocked everyone with her outfits, and it amused her, because in fact, life without outrageousness was simply boring for her.

And finally, the beautiful, which is recreated as a memory of the beautiful marquise and outstanding artists.

The original tunic "lampshade", in which a rigid upper peplum skirt, decorated with cord lace. The bodice of the dress resembles the wings of a butterfly - on a soft pink background - black lines of the pattern, which repeat their fantastic curls both in the peplum and in the hem of the dress. The peplum at the waist level is shorter in front, and gracefully falls in the back with a beautiful curve.

Silk soft pink tulle forms the basis of a narrow skirt that falls to the floor, acquiring a fan flared just below the knees, which lies on the floor. The designers of this masterpiece were Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, who founded the brand.

The legendary model, inspired by the oriental costumes of Leon Bakst for the Russian Diaghilev Ballet, continues to amaze with its luxury and beauty.

Today's study will be dedicated to one of the most eccentric beauties of the past, Marquise Louise Casati.

Louise Adele Rosa Maria Amman was born on January 23, 1881 in the family of a prosperous Italian industrialist Albeto Amman, who was granted the title of count by the king. Biographers write that as a child, Louise was not very sociable; she loved being alone, painting and spending time with her mother, leafing through fashion magazines and admiringly examining her mother's luxurious toilets, elegant dresses and exquisite jewelry.

Louise was very young when her mother suddenly died, and a few years later her father. Together with his sister, they became the heirs of a huge fortune, but, really, no inheritance could compensate for such a loss. Perhaps this explains the attitude towards money that Louise lived with all her life: she never thought about it, did not save, but only spent, spent and spent ...

The title of the Marquise and the surname of Casati came to her from her husband - the girl married at the age of 19 to the noble, but not rich Marquis Camillo Casati Stampa di Soncino. She gave birth to his daughter and in the third year of married life she acquired a lover - the famous poet and novelist Gabriele d'Annunzio could not resist her hypnotic gaze. By that time, family fetters had begun to annoy Louise, she was bored - and it was the romantic and energetic "knight" Gabriele who inspired the young marquise to turn the monotonous everyday life into an exciting and vibrant performance.

By the way, the relationship between Louise and Gabriele lasted until the death of the poet in 1938. The legal spouse looked at that novel through his fingers - it seems that he was much more interested in hunting. We, in turn, are interested in the style of Louise Casati - the true Muse of her time.