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 ...

or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official ...

, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person.

History

In European feudal society, 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 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 Renaissance 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 Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d' ...

servant'', the Spanish ''cortejo'' or ''estrecho''. The courtesans of East Asia, particularly those of the Japanese empire, 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'' 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 Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by man ...

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, leade ...

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, an Italian Renaissance 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 ''Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes'', translated variously as ''The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans'', ''A Harlot High and Low'', or as ''Lost Souls'', is an 1838-1847 novel by French novelist Honoré de Balzac, published in four initi ...

'' (1838–47). Émile Zola 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 ( ...

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

Famous courtesans

This is a list of some professional courtesans. They are not royal mistresses, 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 Theodora is a given name of Greek origin, meaning "God's gift". Theodora may also refer to: Historical figures known as Theodora Byzantine empresses * Theodora (wife of Justinian I) ( 500 – 548), saint by the Orthodox Church * Theodora o ...

, 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 '' renov ...

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-pa ...

saint. 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, Mathilde Kschessinska, Pamela Harriman,

Eva Perón María Eva Duarte de Perón (; ; 7 May 1919 – 26 July 1952), better known as just Eva Perón or by the nickname Evita (), was an Argentine politician, activist, actress, and philanthropist who served as First Lady of Argentina from June 194 ...

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 (5th century BC), '' nagarvadhu''-courtesan of Vaishali, following the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a 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 born in Lu ...

's teachings she became an

arahant In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...

. *

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) *

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 t ...

( ar, عَرِيب المأمونية, CE 797-890), '' qiyan''-courtesan * Chen Yuanyuan (1624–1681), Chinese ''

Yiji A ''yiji'' () was a high-class courtesan in ancient China. Yiji were initially not involved in the direct sex trade, but rather were entertainers who performed music and arts, such as poetry, music and singing, to please dignitaries and intellec ...

''-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 (born 169 AD), the lover of warlord

Dong Zhuo Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...

and warrior Lü Bu during the Chinese Three Kingdoms * Faḍl al-Shāʻirah ( ar, فضل الشاعرة, d. 871 CE), '' qiyan''-courtesan *

Hwang Jini Hwang Jini or Hwang Jin-Yi (; 1506 – 1560), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol ("bright moon", ), was one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptiona ...

(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 *

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 account ...

(15th-century) Indian Marathi saint-poet and courtesan *

Lais of Corinth Lais of Corinth ( grc, Λαΐς and Λαΐδα) ( fl. 425 BC) was a famous hetaira or courtesan of ancient Greece, who was probably born in Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and i ...

(5th century BC), '' hetaira''-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), '' hetaira''-courtesan * Li Shishi (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 ''

''-courtesan and poet * Marion Delorme (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 (1615–1705): lover of the Prince of Condé and Gaspard de Coligny * Phryne (4th century BC), '' hetaira''-courtesan *

Praecia Praecia (fl. 73 BC) was a Roman courtesan, famed for her influence within Roman politics. She was active as a professional high class courtesan in Rome. She was known for her wide net of high-profile clients among the political elite, and for ...

(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), ''

''-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 t ...

(高尾, 1640 – 1659), Japanese '' oiran''-courtesan *

Thaïs Thaïs or Thais ( el, Θαΐς; flourished 4th century BC) was a famous Greek ''hetaira'' who accompanied Alexander the Great on his campaigns. Likely from Athens, she is most famous for instigating the burning of Persepolis. At the time, Tha� ...

(4th century BC), '' hetaira''-courtesan * Theodora (6th century) (–June 28, 548), Byzantine actress-courtesan, later wife of Justinian I 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 (1546–1591): a Venetian ''cortigiana onesta'' courtesan who was once lover to King Henry III of France 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 Volumnia Cytheris (fl. 1st-century BC) was an ancient Roman actress and mimae dancer. She is foremost known as the mistress of several famous Romans. She was originally a slave and later freedwoman. On stage, she was normally referred to only ...

(1st century BC), Roman mimae actress and courtesan *

Yu Gam-dong Yu Gam-dong (Hangul: 유감동; Hanja: 兪甘同) (died ''after'' 1428), was a notable Gisaeng, dancer, writer, artist, and poet who lived during the Korean Joseon Dynasty of the 15th century. Her Gisaeng name was Gamdong. Life She was from nob ...

(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 (1840–1874), French courtesan; Émile Zola 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 Charles XIII, or Carl XIII ( sv, Karl XIII, 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818), was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of S ...

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 is French for "half-world". The term derives from a play called , by Alexandre Dumas , published in 1855. The play dealt with the way that prostitution at that time threatened the institution of marriage. The was the world occupied by elite me ...

''-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 amb ...

(1835–1886), Irish courtesan, de facto wife of Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay * Emma Hamilton (1765–1815), English model-actress, wife of William Hamilton and mistress of

Lord Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

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 (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 ''

''-courtesan ('Grande Horizontale') of the Second Empire *

Liane de Pougy Liane de Pougy (born Anne-Marie Chassaigne, 2 July 1869 – 26 December 1950), was a Folies Bergère vedette and dancer renowned as one of Paris's most beautiful and notorious courtesans. Early life and marriage Anne-Marie Chassaigne was bo ...

(1869–1950), French courtesan and Folies Bergère-dancer * Lola Montez (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 bein ...

(1743–1793), French courtesan, last

Maîtresse-en-titre ''maîtresse-en-titre'' () was the chief royal mistress of the King of France. The title came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued through the reign of Louis XV. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartme ...

of Louis XV of France * Mah Laqa Bai (7 April 1768 – August 1824), Indian ''

tawaif A ''tawaif'' was a highly successful entertainer who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance (mujra), theatre, and the Urdu literary tradit ...

''-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 no ...

(1824–1847), French courtesan, one of the best known from the era of Louis Philippe *

Marie-Louise O'Murphy Marie-Louise O'Murphy (; 21 October 1737 – 11 December 1814), also variously called ''Mademoiselle de Morphy'', ''La Belle Morphise'', ''Louise Morfi'' or ''Marie-Louise Morphy de Boisfailly'', was one of the lesser mistresses (''petites maî ...

(1737–1814), French courtesan, lover but not official royal mistress of Louis XV of France *

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 Surrey ...

(1742-1825), British courtesan and spy *

Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed ...

(1876–1917), courtesan and spy *

Rosalie Duthé Catherine-Rosalie Gerard Duthé (1748–1830), alternately Duthe or Du The, was a celebrated French courtesan. A companion of French kings and European nobility, she has been called "the first officially recorded dumb blonde."Victoria Sherrow. ''E ...

(1748–1830), French courtesan, has been called "the first officially recorded

dumb blonde Blonde stereotypes are stereotypes of blonde-haired people. Sub-types of this stereotype include the " blonde bombshell" and the "dumb blonde". Blondes are stereotyped as more desirable, but less intelligent than brunettes. There are many b ...

". * Sai Jinhua (1872–1936), Chinese courtesan *

Sophia Baddeley Sophia Baddeley born Sophia Snow (1745 – July 1786) was an English actress, singer and courtesan. Early life, musical career She was born in London, the daughter of Mary and Valentine Snow, who was the sergeant-trumpeter to George II. A ...

(1745–1786), British courtesan * Støvlet-Cathrine (1745–1805), Danish courtesan, lover but not official royal mistress of King

Christian VII of Denmark Christian VII (29 January 1749 – 13 March 1808) was a monarch of the House of Oldenburg who was King of Denmark–Norway and Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As r ...

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 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 19 ...

(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 1 ...

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, Norwegia ...

in William Shakespeare's '' Othello'' 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'' ...

's '' The Vampire Armand'', is a courtesan. * In

John Cleland John Cleland (c. 1709, baptised – 23 January 1789) was an English novelist best known for his fictional '' Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'', whose eroticism led to his arrest. James Boswell called him "a sly, old malcont ...

'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'', Fiammetta Bianchini, a renowned courtesan of Rome, and her sharp-witted dwarf rise to success among the intrigue and secrets of Renaissance Venice. * In the book '' A Great and Terrible Beauty'', 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 This page lists characters from the television program, television series ''Firefly (TV series), Firefly''. Major characters Malcolm Reynolds Malcolm Reynolds ("Mal"), played by Nathan Fillion, is owner and captain of the Firefly-class spacesh ...

is a 26th-century

Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

companion, a position inspired by courtesans, in Joss Whedon's TV series '' Firefly''. * 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 '' Siddhartha''. * Komagata Yumi in the manga ''

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: Meiji Kenkaku Roumantan''. * ''

La Dame aux Camélias LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'' is a novel about a courtesan by French author

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that was turned into the opera '' La Traviata'' by Italian composer

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. 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 ''

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'' by

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

''. * Many examples in Indian literature and

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films: Sahibjaan in ''

Pakeezah ''Pakeezah'' (; ) is a 1972 Indian Hindustani-language musical romantic drama film that was written, directed, and produced by Kamal Amrohi. The film stars Ashok Kumar, Meena Kumari, and Raaj Kumar. It tells the story of Sahibjaan, a Lucknow ...

'', 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 ''Devdas'' ( bn, দেবদাস, transliterated as ''Debdās'') is a Bengali romance novel written by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee. The story pivots a tragic triangle linking Devdas, an archetypal lover in viraha (separation); Paro, his forbidd ...

''. *

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's 1996 film '' Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love'' highlights the profession of courtesans in 16th-century India, featuring Rasa Devi (

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) 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 Detecti ...

's eponymous novel of 1880 is a courtesan. * Odette de Crecy from Marcel Proust's '' In Search of Lost Time'' 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 ''

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''. 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, the premier courtesan of Terre D'Ange in

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novels. * Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, an actress/courtesan who falls in love with a penniless poet/writer played by Ewan McGregor, in

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's 2001 film, ''

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''. * 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 pa ...

, in the famous 18th-century poems of

Carl Michael Bellman Carl Michael Bellman (; 4 February 1740 – 11 February 1795) was a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, poet and entertainer. He is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a powerful influence in Swedish music, as well ...

. *

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 nagarvadhu in the ancient Indian Sanskrit play ''

Mṛcchakatika ''Mṛcchakatika'' ( sa, Mṛcchakaṭikam मृच्छकटिकम्), also spelled ''Mṛcchakaṭikā'', ''Mrchchhakatika'', ''Mricchakatika'', or ''Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart'') is a ten-act Sanskrit drama attributed t ...

'' by Śūdraka. * Vittoria Corombona in

John Webster John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1632) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies ''The White Devil'' and ''The Duchess of Malfi'', which are often seen as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. His life and care ...

's play '' The White Devil''. 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 * 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