LA Divine Comtesse: Photographs of the Countess De Castiglione

Rating:
Summary: A woman far ahead of her time
Review: An amazing account of a time and woman like no other. The Countess di Castiglione can be looked upon as a precursor to many artists that have explored self-portraiture, though her "art" captured her narcissism more than any underlying concept or expression. In beautiful costumes from her personal collection, the Countess was photographed and then had artists paint over the portrait to create scenes from history, current operas, or novels of the time. This book compliments the wonderful exhibit recently displayed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I had the pleasure of seeing the exhibit and I was floored by the effortless artistry by which the Countess expressed her deep-seated self love (and loathing). I highly recommend finding out more about this beautiful woman, so scandalous in her time, so historically important in ours.