Courtesan, in modern usage, is a

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

for a "kept"

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a d ...

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

of a monarch or other powerful person.

History

In European

feudal society Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

, 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 The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

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 Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

', or "to pay amorous attention to somebody". The most intimate companion of a ruler was called the " favourite". In

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. 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''. A male figure comparable to the courtesan was the Italian ''

cicisbeo In 18th- and 19th-century Italy, the ''cicisbeo'' ( , , ; plural: ''cicisbei'') or (french: chevalier servant) was the man who was the professed gallant or lover of a woman married to someone else. With the knowledge and consent of the husband, ...

'', the French '' chevalier servant'', the Spanish ''cortejo'' or ''estrecho''. The courtesans of East Asia, particularly those of the

Japanese empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

, 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. 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".

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 Cora Pearl (born Eliza Emma Crouch; December 1836 – 8 July 1886) was an English courtesan or cocotte of the French demimonde who became most well known during the period of the Second French Empire. Early life Eliza Emma Crouch was born in Ply ...

is a good example. Lancelot Volders - Ladies with their servants

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 A royal mistress is the historical position and sometimes unofficial title of the extramarital lover of a monarch or an heir apparent, who was expected to provide certain services, such as sexual or romantic intimacy, companionship, and advice ...

'' 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."A brief history of the Courtesan"
(from icqurimage.com, 2005)

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 Catherine Walters (13 June 1839 – 5 August 1920), also known as "Skittles", was a fashion trendsetter and one of the last of the great courtesans of Victorian London. Walters' benefactors are rumoured to have included intellectuals, lead ...

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. 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 Pietro Aretino (, ; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his time and a ...

, an

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

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 Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

likewise wrote a novel, ''

Nana Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana (c ...

'' (1880), about a courtesan in nineteenth-century France.

Famous courtesans

This is a list of some professional courtesans. They are not

es, 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 Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...

and, after her death, an

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

. The term has also been applied to influential women including

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

, Umrao Jaan,

Diane de Poitiers Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and prominent courtier. She wielded much power and influence as King Henry II's royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position increased her wealth and family' ...

Mathilde Kschessinska Mathilde-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinska ( pl, Matylda Maria Krzesińska, russian: Матильда Феликсовна Кшесинская; 6 December 1971; also known as Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya after her marriage) was a Polish ...

Pamela Harriman Pamela Beryl Harriman (''née'' Digby; 20 March 1920 – 5 February 1997), also known as Pamela Churchill Harriman, was an English-born American political activist for the Democratic Party, diplomat, and socialite. She married three times, ...

, 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

Lais of Corinth, by Hans Holbein the Younger

Amrapali Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated ''nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she b ...

(5th century BC), ''

nagarvadhu Nagarvadhu or Nagar Vadhu (Devanagari: नगरवधू) ("bride of the city") was a tradition followed in some parts of ancient India. Women competed to win the title of a Nagarvadhu, and there was no taboo against the practice. The most bea ...

''-courtesan of Vaishali, following the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

's teachings she became an arahant. *

Anarkali Anarkali () was a legendary woman said to be loved by the 16th-century Mughal Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jahangir. According to some accounts, Anarkali was the nickname of the courtesan Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nisa, though scho ...

(17th-century) courtesan of Salim (later

Mughal emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...

) *

Arib al-Ma'muniyya ʿArīb al-Ma’mūnīya ( ar, عريب المأمونية, b. 181/797–98, d. 277/890–91) was a ''qayna'' (slave trained in the arts of entertainment) of the early Abbasid period, who has been characterised as 'the most famous slave singer to ...

( ar, عَرِيب المأمونية, CE 797-890), '' qiyan''-courtesan *

Chen Yuanyuan Chen Yuanyuan (1624–1681) was a Chinese courtesan who lived during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. She was the concubine of Wu Sangui, the Ming dynasty general who surrendered Shanhai Pass to the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and later reb ...

(1624–1681), Chinese '' Yiji''-courtesan, one of the famous

Eight Beauties of Qinhuai The Eight Beauties of Qinhuai (), also called the Eight Beauties of Jinling (), were eight famous courtesans during the Ming-Qing transition period who resided along the Qinhuai River in Nankin (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China). As well as po ...

. *

Diaochan Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Although based on a minor historical personage, she is mostly a fictional character. She is best known for her role in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...

(born 169 AD), the lover of warlord Dong Zhuo and warrior

Lü Bu Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betray ...

during the Chinese

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

* Faḍl al-Shāʻirah ( ar, فضل الشاعرة, d. 871 CE), '' qiyan''-courtesan * Hwang Jini (fl. 1550): legendary ''

gisaeng Kisaeng (Hangul: 기생, Hanja: 妓生, RR: ''Gisaeng''), also called ginyeo (Hangul: 기녀, Hanja: 妓女), were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men ...

''- courtesan of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

ʽInān Inān bint Abdallāh ( ar, عنان بنت عبد الله, died 841) was a prominent poet of the Abbasid period, even characterised by the tenth-century historian Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣfahāni as the slave-woman poet of foremost significance in ...

( ar, عِنان, d. 841), '' qiyan''-courtesan * Imperia Cognati (1486-1512), courtesan of Renaissance Rome, referred to as the "first courtesan" in Europe *

Kanhopatra Kanhopatra (or Kanhupatra) was a 15th-century Marathi saint-poet, venerated by the Varkari sect of Hinduism. Little is known about Kanhopatra. According to most traditional accounts, Kanhopatra was a courtesan and dancing-girl. These accounts ...

(15th-century) Indian Marathi saint-poet and courtesan * Lais of Corinth (5th century BC), ''

hetaira Hetaira (plural hetairai (), also hetaera (plural hetaerae ), ( grc, ἑταίρα, "companion", pl. , la, hetaera, pl. ) was a type of prostitute in ancient Greece, who served as an artist, entertainer and conversationalist in addition to pro ...

''-courtesan *

Lais of Hyccara Lais of Hyccara ( grc, Λαΐς and Λαΐδα) (died 340 BC) was a hetaira (courtesan) of Ancient Greece. She was probably born in Hyccara, Sicily (modern Carini) and died in Thessaly. She was a contemporary of another courtesan with the same name ...

(killed 340 BC), ''

''-courtesan *

Li Shishi Li Shishi (?-?) was a courtesan () from Bianjing (now Kaifeng), the capital of the Song Empire. At the time, jiaoji refers to women who engaged in performing arts for a living, and their scope of work included: singing, dancing, reciting poetry ...

(1062-1127), Chinese courtesan, regularly employed by

Emperor Huizong of Song Emperor Huizong of Song (7 June 1082 – 4 June 1135), personal name Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China. He was also a very well-known calligrapher. Born as the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong, he ascended the ...

* Li Ye (d. 784), Chinese '' Yiji''-courtesan and poet *

Marion Delorme Marion Delorme (3 October 1613 – 2 July 1650) was a French courtesan known for her relationships with the important men of her time. Biography She was the daughter of Jean de Lou, sieur de l'Orme, president of the treasurers of France in Ch ...

(circa 1613–1650): lover of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, the Prince of Condé, and

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

Ninon de l'Enclos Anne "Ninon" de l'Enclos, also spelled Ninon de Lenclos and Ninon de Lanclos (10 November 1620 – 17 October 1705), was a French author, courtesan and patron of the arts. Early life Born Anne de l'Enclos in Paris on 10 November 1620,Sources als ...

(1615–1705): lover of the Prince of Condé and Gaspard de Coligny * Phryne (4th century BC), ''

''-courtesan * Praecia (fl. 73 BC), Roman courtesan *

Shāriyah Shāriyah ( ar, شارِية, born c. 815 in al-Basra; died c. 870 C.E.) was an ‘Abbasid ''qayna'' (enslaved singing-girl), who enjoyed a prominent place in the court of Al-Wathiq (r. 842–847). Biography The main source for Shāriyah's life ...

( ar, شارِية, -870 CE), '' qiyan''-courtesan *

Su Xiaoxiao Su Xiaoxiao () (c.479 – c.501), sometimes by the appellation "Little Su", was a famous Chinese courtesan and poet from Qiantang City (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province) in the Southern Qi Dynasty. She had a sister named Su Pannu. Life and care ...

(late 5th century), '' Yiji''-courtesan *

Takao II , also known as Sendai Takao or Manji Takao, was a (highest-ranking courtesan) of the Yoshiwara red light district of Edo, and one of the most famous courtesans of Japan's Edo period (1603–1867). She debuted in 1655 as the leading courtesan of ...

(高尾, 1640 – 1659), Japanese '' oiran''-courtesan * Thaïs (4th century BC), ''

''-courtesan * Theodora (6th century) (–June 28, 548), Byzantine actress-courtesan, later wife of

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...

of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

Tullia d'Aragona Tullia d'Aragona (1501/1505 – March or April 1556) was an Italian poet, author and philosopher. Born in Rome sometime between 1501 and 1505, Tullia traveled throughout Venice, Ferrara, Siena, and Florence before returning to Rome. Throughout her ...

(–1556): top courtesan in several Italian cities, and published poet *

Veronica Franco Veronica Franco (1546–1591) was an Italian poet and courtesan in 16th-century Venice. She is known for her notable clientele, feminist advocacy, literary contributions, and philanthropy. Her humanist education and cultural contributions influe ...

(1546–1591): a Venetian ''cortigiana onesta'' courtesan who was once lover to King

Henry III of France Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of ...

and was depicted in the movie

Dangerous Beauty ''Dangerous Beauty'' is a 1998 American biographical drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz and starring Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, and Oliver Platt. Based on the non-fiction book '' The Honest Courtesan'' by Margaret Rosenthal, the f ...

* Volumnia Cytheris (1st century BC), Roman mimae actress and courtesan * Yu Gam-dong (15th-century), Korean ''

Gisaeng Kisaeng (Hangul: 기생, Hanja: 妓生, RR: ''Gisaeng''), also called ginyeo (Hangul: 기녀, Hanja: 妓女), were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men ...

''-courtesan

18th and 19th centuries

Binodini Dasi Binodini Dasi (1863–1941), also known as Notee Binodini, was an Indian Bengali actress and thespian. She started acting at the age of 12 and ended by the time she was 23, as she later recounted in her noted autobiography, ''Amar Katha'' ( ...

(1862–1941), Indian courtesan-actress *

Blanche d'Antigny Blanche d'Antigny (May 9, 1840 – June 30, 1874) was a French singer, actress and courtesan whose fame today rests chiefly on the fact that Émile Zola used her as the principal model for his novel ''Nana''. Life Blanche d'Antigny was born Marie ...

(1840–1874), French courtesan;

used her as the principal model for his novel

(1839–1920), British courtesan * Charlotte Slottsberg (1760–1800), Swedish courtesan-ballerina, lover but not official royal mistress of Charles XIII of Sweden *

Claudine Guérin de Tencin Claudine Alexandrine Guérin de Tencin, Baroness of Saint-Martin-de-Ré (27 April 1682 – 4 December 1749) was a French salonist and author. She was the mother of Jean le Rond d'Alembert, who later became a prominent mathematician, '' philosophe ...

(1681–1749), French courtesan and later a famous salonnière *

(1836–1886), '' demimonde''-courtesan ('Grande Horizontale') of the Second Empire * Dorothy Jordan (1761–1816), British courtesan-actress *

Eliza Lynch Eliza Alice Lynch (Cork, Ireland, 19 November 1833 – Paris, France, 25 July 1886) was the Irish mistress-wife of Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay. The most vilified woman in Latin-American history, she was dubbed as "an ambiti ...

(1835–1886), Irish courtesan, de facto wife of Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay *

Emma Hamilton Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), generally known as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becoming the mistress of a series of wealthy men ...

(1765–1815), English model-actress, wife of William Hamilton and mistress of Lord Nelson *

Grace Elliott Grace Dalrymple Elliott (c. 1754 – 16 May 1823) was a Scottish courtesan, writer and spy resident in Paris during the French Revolution. She was an eyewitness to events detailed in her memoirs, ''Journal of my life during the French Revo ...

(1754?–1823), British courtesan *

Harriette Wilson Harriette Wilson (2 February 1786 – 10 March 1845) was the author of ''The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson: Written by Herself'' (1825). Wilson was a famed British Regency courtesan who became the mistress of William, Lord Craven, at the age of ...

(1786–1846), British courtesan * Josefa Ordóñez (1728 – d. ''after'' 1792), Mexican courtesan-actress *

Kitty Fisher Catherine Maria Fischer (1 June 1741 – 10 March 1767), known as Kitty Fisher, was a prominent British courtesan. From her teenage years onward, Fisher developed a carefully molded public image, which was enhanced by acknowledgement from Sir ...

(died 1767), British courtesan and model *

La Belle Otero Agustina del Carmen Otero Iglesias (4 November 1868 – 10 April 1965), better known as Carolina Otero or La Belle Otero, was a Spanish actress, dancer and courtesan. She had a reputation for great beauty and was famous for her numerous lovers. ...

(1868–1965), Spanish courtesan *

La Païva Esther Lachmann (; better known as La Païva (); 7 May 181921 January 1884) was the most famous of the 19th-century French courtesans. A notable investor and architecture patron, and a collector of jewels, she had a personality so hard-bitten tha ...

(1819–1884), French '' demimonde''-courtesan ('Grande Horizontale') of the Second Empire * Liane de Pougy (1869–1950), French courtesan and Folies Bergère-dancer *

Lola Montez Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (17 February 1821 – 17 January 1861), better known by the stage name Lola Montez (), was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer, courtesan, and mistress of King Ludwig ...

(1821–1861), Irish dancer, mistress of king Ludwig I of Bavaria *

Madame du Barry Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (19 August 1743 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed, by guillotine, during the French Revolution due to accounts of treason—particularly being ...

(1743–1793), French courtesan, last Maîtresse-en-titre of

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...

Mah Laqa Bai Mah Laqa Bai (7 April 1768 – August 1824), born Chanda Bai, and sometimes referred to as Mah Laqa Chanda, was an Indian 18th century Urdu poet, courtesan and philanthropist based in Hyderabad. In 1824, she became the first female poet to hav ...

(7 April 1768 – August 1824), Indian '' tawaif''-courtesan *

Marie Duplessis Marie Duplessis (born Alphonsine Rose Plessis; 15 January 1824 – 3 February 1847) was a French courtesan and mistress to a number of prominent and wealthy men. She was the inspiration for Marguerite Gautier, the main character of the 1848 nov ...

(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

Mary Nesbitt Mary Nesbitt (born 1742/3 – died 1825) was an English upper class socialite and courtesan who mixed in the elevated circles of government and royalty in late 18th century Great Britain. Her home, Norwood House, in Upper Norwood, then Surre ...

(1742-1825), British courtesan and spy * Mata Hari (1876–1917), courtesan and spy * Rosalie Duthé (1748–1830), French courtesan, has been called "the first officially recorded dumb blonde". *

Sai Jinhua Sai Jinhua (; "Prettier Than Golden Flower"; Chang, Jung. ''Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China'' (eBook). Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2013. eBook . p. 118. "Her minister to Berlin, Hung Jun, was quite the opposite of Guo ...

(1872–1936), Chinese courtesan * Sophia Baddeley (1745–1786), British courtesan *

Støvlet-Cathrine Anne Cathrine Benthagen, known in history by her nickname Støvlet-Cathrine (b. Copenhagen, 1745 – d. Plön, Holstein, 1805), was a Danish prostitute, one of the best known courtesans in Copenhagen in the 1760s and the official royal mistress of ...

(1745–1805), Danish courtesan, lover but not official royal mistress of King Christian VII of Denmark *

Zofia Potocka Zofia Potocka née ''Clavone'' ( uk, Софія Костянтинівна Потоцька; 11 January 1760 – 24 November 1822) was a Greek slave courtesan and a Russian agent, later a Polish noblewoman. She was famous in contemporary Europe ...

(1760–1822), Greek courtesan, mistress of

Grigory Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...

and wife of

Szczęsny Potocki Szczęsny ( ; feminine: Szczęsna), Szczesny, or Sczesny is a Polish given name and surname, meaning "lucky". It is the Polish equivalent of the Czech and Slovak surname Šťastný. Notable people Surname * Bernard Szczęsny (1919–1999), ...

20th century

Marguerite Alibert Marguerite Marie Alibert (9 December 1890 – 2 January 1971), also known as Maggie Meller, Marguerite Laurent, and Princess Fahmy, was a French socialite. She started her career as a prostitute and later courtesan in Paris, and from 1917 to 1 ...

(1890-1971), French courtesan, lover but not official royal mistress of Prince

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

Famous courtesans in fiction

* Angellica Bianca in

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barrie ...

's 1677 play '' The Rover''. *

Bianca Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. Variants * Blanche: French * Bianca: Italian * Bianka (Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, German, English, French, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Co ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' is considered a courtesan to Cassio. * Bianca, who appears in

Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature. She was best known for her series of novels ''The Vampire Chronicles''. B ...

's ''

The Vampire Armand ''The Vampire Armand'' (1998) is a horror novel by American writer Anne Rice, the sixth in her '' The Vampire Chronicles'' series. Plot summary With Lestat de Lioncourt still in slumber since '' Memnoch the Devil'', the vampire coven is reunited ...

'', 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 Sarah Dunant (born 8 August 1950) is a British novelist, journalist, broadcaster, and critic. She is married with two daughters, and lives in London and Florence. Early life Dunant was born in 1950 and raised in London. She is the daughter of Da ...

's ''

In the Company of the Courtesan IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...

'', Fiammetta Bianchini, a renowned courtesan of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, and her sharp-witted dwarf rise to success among the intrigue and secrets of Renaissance Venice. * In the book ''

A Great and Terrible Beauty ''A Great and Terrible Beauty'' is the first novel in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray. It is told from the perspective of Gemma Doyle, a girl in the year 1895. Gemma leaves her home in India to go to a boarding school in England after he ...

'', 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 Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...

's TV series ''

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

''. * Kamala, in

Herman Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', '' Steppenwolf'', '' Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', each of which explores an individual's ...

's '' Siddhartha''. *

Komagata Yumi The manga series ''Rurouni Kenshin'' features a large cast of character (arts), fictional characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Set in Japan during the Meiji period, several of the characters are real historical figures who interact with the ...

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 ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'' by Italian composer

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

. 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 ''Throne of Glass'' is a young adult high fantasy novel series by American author Sarah J. Maas, beginning with the entry of the same name, released in August 2012. The story follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a cor ...

'' by

Sarah J. Maas Sarah Janet Maas (born March 5, 1986) is an American fantasy author known for her fantasy series '' Throne of Glass'' and '' A Court of Thorns and Roses''. As of 2022, she has sold over twelve million copies of her books and her work has been ...

, a shape-shifting courtesan working to pay off her debts and care for her rescued acolyte, Evangeline. * Madame Gabrielle from

Dora Levy Mossanen Dora Levy Mossanen ( fa, دورا لوی مصنن , born December 28, 1945) is an American author of historical fiction. Her published works include ''Harem'' (2002), ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Denver Post'' best-seller ''Courtesan'' (2005), '' ...

. ''Courtesan: A Novel''. Touchstone, 2005. * Magda in Puccini's ''

La rondine ''La rondine'' (''The Swallow'') is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and . It was first performed at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo (or the Théâtr ...

''. * Many examples in

Indian literature Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognised languages. The earliest works of Indian literature were o ...

and

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

films: Sahibjaan in '' Pakeezah'', Umrao Jaan in the Urdu novel ''

Umrao Jaan Ada ''Umrao Jaan Ada'' ( ur, ) is an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa (1857–1931), first published in 1899. It is considered the first Urdu novel by many

'' 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 Indira Anne Varma (born 27 September 1973) is a British actress and narrator. Her film debut and first major role was in '' Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love''. She has gone on to appear in the television series ''The Canterbury Tales'', ''Rome'', ''L ...

). *

, in

Emile Zola Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous novel of 1880 is a courtesan. * Odette de Crecy from Marcel Proust's ''

In Search of Lost Time ''In Search of Lost Time'' (french: À la recherche du temps perdu), first translated into English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'', and sometimes referred to in French as ''La Recherche'' (''The Search''), is a novel in seven volumes by French ...

'' 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 ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in French alexandrine, alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Compositio ...

, 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 Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...

's 2001 film, ''

Moulin Rouge! ''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows a young English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and cour ...

''. * 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 Ulla Winblad was a semi-fictional character in many of Carl Michael Bellman's musical works. She is at once an idealised rococo goddess and a tavern prostitute, and a key figure in Bellman's songs of ''Fredman's Epistles''. The character was part ...

, in the famous 18th-century poems of Carl Michael Bellman. *

Vasantasena Vasantasena (Fifth century BC) was a courtesan of Ujjayini according to ancient Indian literature, who earned fame and prosperity due to her finesse in various art forms such as singing, dancing, poetry, and courting as well as for her beauty. She ...

, a

in the ancient Indian Sanskrit play '' Mṛcchakatika'' by

Śūdraka Shudraka (IAST: ) was an Indian playwright, to whom three Sanskrit plays are attributed: '' Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart''), ''Vinavasavadatta'', and a ''bhana'' (short one-act monologue), ''Padmaprabhritaka''.Bhattacharji, Sukumari ...

. * Vittoria Corombona in John Webster's play ''

The White Devil ''The White Devil'' (full original title: ''The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Brachiano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan'') is a tragedy by English playwright John We ...

''. She is described in the alternative title of the play as 'the famous Venetian Curtizan'.

References

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 HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...

* 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

External links

* ttp://www.indohistory.com/kamasutra_about_courtesans_introduction.html "Part VI: Introductory Remarks"Section about courtesans in ''Kamasutra'' by Vatsayayana {{Authority control Interpersonal relationships

History

Categories

Differences in status

As primary employment

For social or political benefits

Career length

Famous courtesans

17th century and before

18th and 19th centuries

20th century

Famous courtesans in fiction

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links