The Mistress of Paris: The 19th-Century Courtesan Who Built an Empire on a Secret

Painted by Manet, immortalized by Emile Zola in Nana and a connoisseur and collector of the arts, the Comtesse Valtesse de la Bigne was one of the most celebrated courtesans of 19th-century Paris. Catherine Hewitt's biography tells the story of this remarkable woman's journey from poverty and obscurity to the wealth, glamour and scandal of Parisian high society.