Luisa Casati: The Belle Époque Muse Who Died in Debt
Luisa Casati, originally Luisa Amman, was born in 1881 into an affluent family in Milan and became an iconic figure of the Belle Époque. Her father, an Austrian cotton tycoon, received the title of count from King Umberto I. Following the death of her mother when Luisa was 13 and her father's passing two years later, her uncle took her in. At the age of 17, she garnered attention for her short hairstyle. In 1900, she wed Marquess Camillo Casati Stampa di Soncino, but her affair with poet Gabriele D'Annunzio led to numerous romantic entanglements. Her lavish lifestyle eventually led to financial ruin, and during WWII, she traded her Venetian palace for a modest flat in London. Casati passed away from a stroke on June 1, 1957, in London.
Key facts
- Luisa Casati was born Luisa Amman in 1881 in Milan, Italy.
- Her father, an Austrian who made a fortune in cotton, was made a count by King Umberto I.
- She married Marquess Camillo Casati Stampa di Soncino in 1900.
- She had a love affair with poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, which liberated her from social conventions.
- Her lovers included painter Romaine Brooks and artist Augustus John.
- Artists who depicted her include Giovanni Boldini, Léon Bakst, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Giacomo Balla, Man Ray, Alberto Martini, and Kees van Dongen.
- During World War II, she traded her palace on the Grand Canal in Venice for a tiny flat in London.
- She died of a stroke on June 1, 1957, in London, after amassing a debt equivalent to $25 million.
Entities
Artists
- Luisa Casati
- Man Ray
- Romaine Brooks
- Gabriele D'Annunzio
- Giovanni Boldini
- Léon Bakst
- Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
- Giacomo Balla
- Alberto Martini
- Kees van Dongen
- Augustus John
- Camillo Casati Stampa di Soncino
- King Umberto I
Institutions
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna
- Artists Rights Society
- ADAGP
- Art Blart
- Obelisk Art History
- Wikimedia Commons
- DailyArt Magazine
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- London
- United Kingdom
- Venice
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- United States
- Toronto
- Canada
- Rome