Courtesan - Wikipedia Courtesan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Prostitute or mistress For other uses, see Courtesan (disambiguation). Relationships (Outline) Types Genetic or adoptive Kinship Family Parent father mother Grandparent Sibling Cousin By marriage Spouse Husband Wife Open marriage Polygamy Polyandry Polygyny Group marriage Mixed-orientation Partner(s) Significant other Boyfriend Girlfriend Cohabitation Same-sex Life partner Friendship (romantic / cross-sex / zone) Sexual Casual Monogamy Non-monogamy Mutual monogamy Polyamory Polyfidelity Cicisbeo Concubinage Courtesan Mistress Activities Bonding Courtship Dating Engagement Bachelor's Day Mating Meet market Romance Singles event Wedding Endings Breakup Separation Annulment Divorce Widowhood Emotions and feelings Affinity Attachment Intimacy Jealousy Limerence Love Platonic unconditional Passion Sexuality Practices Bride price dower dowry service Hypergamy Infidelity Sexual activity Transgression Repression Abuse Child Dating Domestic Elderly Narcissistic parent Power and control v t e Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism meaning a sugar baby, escort, concubine, mistress or a prostitute, for whom the art of dignified etiquette is the means of attracting wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term originally meant a courtier, a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.[1] In 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', or "to pay amorous attention to somebody".[1] 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.[2] 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.[1] A male figure comparable to the courtesan was the Italian cicisbeo, the French chevalier 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.[3] Contents 1 Categories 2 Differences in status 2.1 As primary employment 2.2 For social or political benefits 3 Career length 4 Famous courtesans in history 4.1 17th century and before 4.2 18th and 19th centuries 4.3 Famous courtesans in fiction 5 See also 6 Further reading 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Categories[edit] Veronica Franco, famous Venetian poet and courtesan. Portrait by Paolo Veronese. One type of courtesan was known (in Italy) as the cortigiana onesta, or the honest courtesan, who was cast as an intellectual. Another was the cortigiana di lume, a lower class of courtesan. The former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more-or-less equal to women of the nobility. It is with this type of courtesan that the art of "courtisanerie" is best associated.[citation needed] The cortigiane oneste were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their "breeding"—social and conversational skills, intelligence, common-sense, and companionship—as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. Sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan's array of services. For example, they were well-dressed and ready to engage and participate in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics. In some cases, courtesans were from well-to-do backgrounds, and were even married—but to husbands lower on the social ladder than their clients. In these cases, their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve their spouses' status—and so, more often than not, the husband was aware of his wife's profession and dealings.[4] Differences in status[edit] As primary employment[edit] 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 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 is a good example. Courtesans with their servants by Lancelot Volders 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 socialize. Often, in instances of this sort, if the courtesan had satisfactorily served a benefactor, that benefactor would, when ending the affair, pass them on to another benefactor of wealth as a favor to the courtesan, or set them up in an arranged marriage to a semi-wealthy benefactor. In the event that the courtesan had angered or dissatisfied a benefactor, they would often find themselves cast out of wealthy circles, returning more often than not to street prostitution. For social or political benefits[edit] 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.[4] Career length[edit] 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 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.[4] 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 (1838–47). Émile Zola likewise wrote a novel, Nana (1880), about a courtesan in nineteenth-century France. Famous courtesans in history[edit] The below list contains examples of professional courtesans. They are not to be confused with royal mistresses, except in the case when a professional courtesan was also a royal mistress. 17th century and before[edit] Lais of Corinth by Hans Holbein the Younger, Kunstmuseum Basel. Amrapali (5th century BC), nagarvadhu-courtesan of Vaishali, following the Buddha's teachings she became an arahant. Lais of Corinth (5th century BC), hetaira-courtesan Aspasia (469 BC-409 BC), lover of the Athenian statesman Pericles Lais of Hyccara (killed 340 BC), hetaira-courtesan Thaïs (4th century BC), hetaira-courtesan Phryne (4th century BC), hetaira-courtesan Diaochan (born 169 AD), the lover of warlord Dong Zhuo and warrior Lü Bu during the Chinese Three Kingdoms Praecia (fl. 73 BC), Roman courtesan Volumnia Cytheris (1st century BC), Roman mimae actress and courtesan Su Xiaoxiao (late 5th century), Yiji-courtesan Theodora (6th century) (c. 500–June 28, 548), Byzantine actress-courtesan, later wife of Justinian I of the Byzantine Empire Li Ye (d. 784), Chinese Yiji-courtesan and poet ʽInān (Arabic: عِنان‎, d. 841), qiyan-courtesan Arib al-Ma'muniyya (Arabic: عَرِيب المأمونية‎, CE 797-890), qiyan-courtesan Shāriyah (Arabic: شارِية‎, c. 815-870 CE), qiyan-courtesan Faḍl al-Shāʻirah (Arabic: فضل الشاعرة‎, d. 871 CE), qiyan-courtesan Li Shishi (1062-1127), Chinese courtesan, regularly employed by Emperor Huizong of Song Kanhopatra (15th-century) Indian Marathi saint-poet and courtesan Yu Gam-dong (15th-century), Korean Gisaeng-courtesan Imperia Cognati (1486-1512), courtesan of Renaissance Rome, referred to as the "first courtesan" in Europe Tullia d'Aragona (c. 1510–1556): top courtesan in several Italian cities, and published poet Hwang Jini (fl. 1550): legendary gisaeng- courtesan of the Joseon Dynasty 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 Anarkali (17th-century) courtesan of Salim (later Mughal emperor Jahangir) Marion Delorme (circa 1613–1650): lover of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, the Prince of Condé, and Cardinal Richelieu Ninon de l'Enclos (1615–1705): lover of the Prince of Condé and Gaspard de Coligny Chen Yuanyuan (1624–1681), Chinese Yiji-courtesan, one of the famous Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. Takao II (高尾, 1640 – 1659), Japanese oiran-courtesan 18th and 19th centuries[edit] Mary Nesbitt Cora Pearl. Claudine Guérin de Tencin (1681–1749), French courtesan and later a famous salonniére Josefa Ordóñez (1728 – d. after 1792), Mexican courtesan-actress Kitty Fisher (died 1767), British courtesan and model Marie-Louise O'Murphy (1737–1814), French courtesan, lover but not official royal mistress of Louis XV of France Mary Nesbitt (1742-1825), British courtesan and spy Sophia Baddeley (1745–1786), British courtesan Støvlet-Cathrine (1745–1805), Danish courtesan, lover but not official royal mistress of King Christian VII of Denmark Rosalie Duthé (1748–1830), French courtesan, has been called "the first officially recorded dumb blonde". Grace Elliott (1754?–1823), British courtesan Charlotte Slottsberg (1760–1800), Swedish courtesan-ballerina, lover but not official royal mistress of Charles XIII of Sweden Dorothy Jordan (1761–1816), British courtesan-actress Mah Laqa Bai (7 April 1768 – August 1824), Indian tawaif-courtesan Harriette Wilson (1786–1846), British courtesan La Païva (1819–1884), French demimonde-courtesan ('Grande Horisontale') of the Second Empire Lola Montez (1821–1861), internationally famous courtesan, mistress to the king of Bavaria Marie Duplessis (1824–1847), French courtesan, one of the best known from the era of Louis Philippe Cora Pearl (1836–1886), demimonde-courtesan ('Grande Horizontale') of the Second Empire Eliza Lynch (1835–1886), British courtesan, de facto wife of Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay Catherine Walters (1839–1920), British courtesan Blanche d'Antigny (1840–1874), French courtesan; Émile Zola used her as the principal model for his novel Nana Binodini Dasi (1862–1941), Indian courtesan-actress La Belle Otero (1868–1965), Spanish courtesan Liane de Pougy (1869–1950), French courtesan and Folies Bergère-dancer Sai Jinhua (1872–1936), Chinese courtesan Mata Hari (1876–1917), courtesan and spy In addition to the list above, the term "courtesan" has often 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 can be referred to as 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 and, after her death, an Orthodox saint. The term has also been applied to influential women including Anne Boleyn, Umrao Jaan, Madaline Bishop, Diane de Poitiers, Mathilde Kschessinska, Pamela Harriman, Eva Perón and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The attempt to define such women as courtesans is often intended to draw attention to certain perceived qualities, ambitions or conduct which are held to be courtesan-like. Famous courtesans in fiction[edit] Madame Gabrielle from Dora Levy Mossanen. Courtesan: A Novel. Touchstone, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-4678-0 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. La Dame aux Camélias is a novel about a courtesan by French author Alexandre Dumas, fils that was turned into the opera La Traviata by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. 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". Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, an actress/courtesan who falls in love with a penniless poet/writer played by Ewan McGregor, in Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film, Moulin Rouge!. Lysandra in the book series Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, a shape-shifting courtesan working to pay off her debts and care for her rescued acolyte, Evangeline. Angellica Bianca in Aphra Behn's 1677 play The Rover. Vittoria Corombona in John Webster's play The White Devil. She is described in the alternative title of the play as 'the famous Venetian Curtizan'. Nana, in Emile Zola's eponymous novel of 1880 is a courtesan. In Sarah Dunant'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 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 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 is a 26th-century Alliance companion, a position inspired by courtesans, in Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly. Phèdre nó Delaunay, the premier courtesan of Terre D'Ange in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy novels. 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. Bianca, who appears in Anne Rice's The Vampire Armand, is a courtesan. Bianca in William Shakespeare's Othello is considered a courtesan to Cassio. Many examples in Indian literature and Bollywood films: Sahibjaan in Pakeezah, Umrao Jaan in the film of the same name, 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).. Ulla Winblad, in the famous 18th-century poems of Carl Michael Bellman. Kamala, in Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. Sha'ira, an asari "Consort" from the Mass Effect computer game series. 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. Komagata Yumi in the manga Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Roumantan. Magda in Puccini's La rondine. Angelica Neal in Imogen Hermes Gowar’s The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock 'Arin' of 'The Catauni', in Pixelberry Choices: Stories You Play's A Courtesan of Rome (set in the Ancient Rome), is a Gallic princess whose tribe conquered by the Roman Republic. Her family was separated and the family members were put to different places. 'Arin' was brought and sold to Lena's scholae, where Lena trained her for eight years to become the best courtesan. 'Arin' then used her job as a courtesan as her way to avenge her tribe, 'The Catauni'. See also[edit] Similar professions Almeh, in the Middle East Qiyān, in the Middle East Ca trù,in Vietnam Hetaera, in ancient Greece Kisaeng, in Korea Oiran, in historic Japan Nagarvadhu, in ancient India Shamakhi dancers, in Azerbaijan Yiji, in China Related topics Grisette, in France Pilegesh, concubine in Hebrew Prostitute Religious prostitution Sugar baby, contemporary counterpart Sycophant, obedient flatterer Further reading[edit] Martha Feldman, Bonnie Gordon. The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives. pp. 312–352. Notes[edit] 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 References[edit] ^ a b c "Courtesan". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 19 June 2019. v. courtesan, -zan, 1, Obs., "One attached to the court of a prince"; courtesan, -zan, 2, "A court-mistress", Etymon "a. F. courtisane, ad. It. cortigiana, in Florio cortegiana "a curtezane, a strumpet", orig. woman attached to the court, fem. of cortigiano. In quotation 1565 directly from Italian" ^ Castiglione, Baldassare. The Book of the Courtier. In Italy, Castiglione uses the masculine form cortigiano ("courtier") but for the feminine form cortigiana ("courtesan") uses the term donna di palazzo (literally "palace lady") ^ "Geisha Dolls". University of Florida. Retrieved 8 April 2012. ^ a b c "A brief history of the Courtesan" Archived 2006-03-19 at the Wayback Machine(from icqurimage.com, 2005) External links[edit] "Part VI: Introductory Remarks" Section about courtesans in Kamasutra by Vatsayayana v t e Interpersonal relationships Types of relationships Significant Domestic partnership Boyfriend Girlfriend Cohabitation Monogamy Open marriage Family Marriage Husband Wife Soulmate Siblings Cousin Widowhood Casual Open relationship Gold digging Enjo kōsai Sexual partner One-night stand Friendship Kinship Non-monogamy Polyamory Polyfidelity Polygamy Romantic friendship Same-sex relationship Courtesan Cicisbeo Concubinage Seraglio Plaçage Marriage à la façon du pays Gigolo Mistress Royal Favourite Maîtresse-en-titre Sugar baby/Sugar daddy/Sugar momma Distant Divorce Stranger Marital separation Romantic relationship events Bonding Courtship Dating Mating Romance Breakup Annulment Divorce Separation Meet market Singles event Wedding Feelings and emotions Affinity Attachment Compersion Intimacy Jealousy Limerence Love Passion Platonic love Unconditional love Human practices Bride price Dower Dowry Hypergamy Infidelity Repression Sexual activity Transgression Relationship abuse Child abuse Dating violence Domestic violence Elder abuse Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Courtesan&oldid=990752141" Categories: Courtesans Interpersonal relationships Hidden categories: Webarchive template wayback links Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2019 Articles containing Arabic-language text Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Languages العربية Български Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Čeština Dansk Deutsch فارسی Français Հայերեն Hrvatski עברית Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本語 Norsk bokmål Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 26 November 2020, at 08:46 (UTC). 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