In the first half of the 20th century Marchesa Luisa Casati was Europe's most notorious celebrity. This heiress famously said, "I want to be a living work of art." She was eccentric, often scandalous and fascinated some of the most influential artists of her time. Fortuny, Poiret, and others dressed her and designers today (Karl Lagerfield) still name her as an inspiration. She kept cheetahs as pets and wore live snakes as jewelry. Intrigued?
painting by Augustus John
Well, "The Marchesa Luisa Casati: Portraits of a Muse" is a visual biography telling the story of her curious life through the art she inspired. This week's giveaway is for one copy of the book courtesy of Abrams Books. With more than 200 pages of images of the captivating redhead with her piercing eyes, the book should be able to offer the winner nearly as much inspiration as the lady herself.
the book cover
To enter: merely leave a comment below. Open to International readers. Please leave an e-mail address if you don't have a blog.
213 comments:
1 – 200 of 213 Newer› Newest»My god! she's amazing!
i need that book :)
Amazing giveaway!
beautiful!!I love it !
kiss from france
I love your blog
Intriguing, you have spurred me to go do some research on her!
Awesome give away!
Wow. I've always wanted to wear my hair like her-- she's so distinctive and compelling. I wonder how much product it would take me to do that?
rcampb48@uwo.ca
i have never heard of her before, but she sounds like a reallyi nteresting person. snakes as jewellery? wow
Oh, this is a gorgeous giveaway! She was definitely intriguing...
love your blog!
she's got a great look--definitely someone to emulate (minus the live snakes...)
I want it!
Love you blog. This book looks great!
-barb
Souns like one interesting lady!Would love to learn more
Sofie x
Love it!
alline_paula@hotmail.com
snakes?
epic
Hope
she seems like a kick ass lady. i want to know more!
oh my god, she's absolutely fabulous. i want i want i want!
Intruiging. I definitely need to know more - commencing commenting!
she's iconic. this book would be amazing to have!
What inspirational images, what a great giveaway!
Beautiful! I would love this!
ecmorris(at)usc(dot)edu
enter me for sure. it can sit right next to my olsen coffee table book.
I love this giveaway, and love that you're looking at giveaways beyond accessories and clothing! Thanks for the opportunity.
Definitely entering this one! Thanks for the opportunity (:
she sounds really interesting. i always want to know more about 20th century pop culture.
How wonderful is that first painting you posted? With the subdued colors, her fiery red hair and dark intense eyes become such a focal point. It is gorgeous. Absolutely stunning! Not only her, but the art she inspired.
Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics made an eyeshadow palette devoted to her. It is really pretty.
What an interesting giveaway! I'd love to learn more about her :)
What an extraordinary person! (said after some research) Would be great to have more of her in pictures ;)
Brilliant idea for giveaway.
The book looks great! I remember seeing an editorial based on her once.
What a beautiful Book Cover! Would love to see what inside ;)
-Coco
ourpapermoon.blogspot.com
I saw couple of day ago. :-) LUV!
XoXo
I've always liked to know about artist's muses. They seem like beautiful and uniquely intelligent and entertaining women.
What an amazing giveaway!! *O*
The paint is wonderful and intriguing as well!
Oh, how I want to win!!!
she's amazing! I'd love to get my hands on that book! xxx
ooh, i'd never heard of her, but she seems utterly fascinating, i'd love that book.
xxx miss tukru
After reading your post, I went straight to Wikipedia:) I'd love to read more about her.
Wow, love that photo on the cover! :)
That book looks gorgeous! Great giveaway :)
When I read those words
"I want to be a living work of art"
I instantly thought about Oscar Wilde and his book "The Picture of Dorian Grey". Dorian, and as far as I know Oscar too, were the perfect dandies - I know that this word is sometimes (or often? not sure) offending, but on the other hand it's also connected with eccentric, but still very amusing and interesting lifestyle. As I read not so long ago "dandy is a state of mind; it is a person who can do almost anything, as long as he or she do it with charm". So it's a bit distracting, as Marchesa Casati (I think) was. You're not sure if you would do the same thing as she had, maybe becuase of lack of courage or personal believs, but somewhere deep inside you would like to be interesting, special, and you somehow admire this person. And this ambivalence makes Dorian, Oscar or Marchesa interesting until today.
(So it looks like very nice giveaway:)
Wow, she's beautiful. I would love to win this, she sounds so interesting!
Off to wikipedia...
:)
i would like this.
please.
oh hello giveaway :}
she seems like such a fascinating person, i wish she were alive now so i could know her better
Looks interesting! :D
woow, I'd never heard of her, but just based on those images she seems amazing!! xxx
Amazing images! I have to check her out! great post!
Every time I read or hear about her, it really fires me up to learn more about her. From what I've gleamed, she's an interesting gal, and definitely one worth remembering!
i've never heard of her, but you've definitely inspired me to do a little research!
she is beautiful! I'm naming my kid marchesa, after her and the designer!
She's the epitome of muse-worthy! The book sounds so exciting!
This is awesome! The book cover is very pretty!
this is amazing
absolutely
Wow, I've never heard of Casati but I love the description of her eccentricity. Cheetahs as pets and snakes as jewelry?! Crazy but amazing.
Amazing! I am definitely entering!
i love that goal - to make your life a work of art. sounds like an amazing woman. i would love that book!
cheers,
rhoda
metaphormula.com
She is an amazing woman, love to win that book!
Want it!
She's captivating! I love her hair.
I've heard about her, and ashamed that I do not know more!
Sarah Louise
http://www.tzipporit.blogspot.com
This woman is amazing, crazy most certainly, but amazing.
She seems very eccentric - like me! haha Book sounds awesome, i looove pictures
oooh i am intrigued
email: i.sumoon@gmail.com
she's seems incredibly fascinating!
i'd soo love to win this book <3
Snakes as jewelry? Now I'm intrigued.
natalieash@comcast.net
She sounds facinating!
Would love to give this book a read! Thanks for the contest!
spandexpony@gmail.com
I love her. I remember ranting about her in senior art class and getting a lot of vacant stares...
I would love it.
www.amandarisingdawn.blogspot.com
darktears_dawn (at) hotmail.com
I usually never win anything at giveaways, but for such a fantastic prize I have to give it a go!
*fingers, toes, eyes and knees crossed*
She sounds like a fascinating woman...
I would love to have that book!!!
wednesdaywillow@gmail.com
:))
Books? Yes. Art? Yes. Books on art? AWESOME.
I think I've heard of her before, but I'd love to know more.
Oh, wow. This book sounds amazing.
What a very cool lady!
lululetty.blogspot.com
wow! so great to hear about inspirational people like this!
This is the neatest giveaway! Thank you so much for offering such a wonderful book.
xo
Jenny
OOhh cool!
Live snakes. I wonder if that's where Brittney Spears got her idea to wear a boa constictor. She must've been a very interesting person. I wish to learn more..:)
hdickinson2@gmail.com
OH I LOVE HER! I always imagine her taking her cheetahs out for a walk around the Trevi Fountain.
Oh. I am intrigued. ;)
wilkins.ashley.20532@gmail.com
she looks just like christina hendricks to me...
fnannizzi@gmail.com
I've never heard of her before but now I'm intrigued.
..and she doesn't look anything like Christina Hendricks.
Beautiful, she's truly an icon.
Not as well known as others, but she should be!
my blog is new, feel free to visit:
http//lassemblage.blogspot.com
Wow! This looks like an amazingly inspiring book.
I've never heard of her before but upon hearing of her she has piqued my interest.
I will definitely be reading up on her =]
This sounds like an interesting book! hannahmalcolm1@gmail.com
hannahmalcolm(one)(at)gmail(dot)com
Fashonistas and Bibliophiles unite!
lizgoetz@gmail.com
These pictures are incredible.
Sounds amazing I would love to win it :)
*gasp*
Definitely count me in!!
wow, i think this is the coolest giveaway i've ever seen.
pick me pick me!
xo Niki
http://ahautemess.blogspot.com
Live snakes as jewellery, this woman had guts, I would so do that (i love snakes) if everyone you passed wouldnt totally freak out!! Please enter me, I wanna read this womens story!
i've never heard of her before, but she sounds amazing! I love to learn more about her
interesting
Greetings from south Texas. Awesome giveaway, she's such an inspiration... she looks like the kooky ladies from Monterrey, Mexico.
-Iliana :)
irodriguez86@sbcglobal.net
Wow! I've never heard of her before!! Interesting! xxoxooxxo
I want to know more!!!xoxo,
www.meencantamiropa.blogspot.com
She was such an intriguing eccentric! Please enter me... ;)
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
INSANE WOMAN.
Can I be her please ?
xx
http://riotousparty.blogspot.com
I bet the artwork in that book is stunning...
i must have this gorgeous book. better than any accessory in the world!
lilliancurrens@yahoo.com
my email
What an intriguing woman?! I can tell she has such a penetrating style just from these few pictures on your blog. I think I'm going to have to get my hands on that book either way!
I truly am intrigued!
you on on a roll with giveaways, thanks!
she seems to be so inspirational, i would love to find out more, this is the first i have heard of her and she seems so intriguing.
Oh my! She sounds like an existentialist! I remember seeing a portrait of her and a greyhound, I think, when I was younger. ^^! Thanks for sharing!
she was such an ethereal looking woman..
Eep! Lovely!
tiekadierolf@gmail.com
selective potential
Oh this looks great! I'd love to win it.
Have you ever seen the Vogue shots of Marisa Berenson channelling Casati? From a long-discarded issue I'd love to have back again...
troff3 @ gmail . com
what an inspiration!
weren't the channel runway looks based off of her?
love your blog :)
-leetal
babebaloo@gmail.com
oo i love this first picture, shes beautiful! how intriging indeed! i love her storytelling methods. i studied a storytelling paper once and loved to explore the wonderful and crazy ways people tell their stories its so inspirational and captivating! i was just reading on day dream lilys blog this morning about orginality and she posted a quote saying "nothing of me is original. i am the combined effort of everyone ive ever known" i thought this was a beautiful way to look at it and a new way to look at storytelling too but after reading your post i feel like maybe artists are always orginal becasue even when copying off something that inspired them they do it in their own way with their own style and touch which is even more beautiful. i would love to explore this book and this miraculous woman. thanks for the post.
she is so amazing, great giveaway!
this is awesome. this is such a cool "behind the scenes" look at such an influential muse.
great giveaway :)
xo.
princesspolitico
chinkemere@gmail.com
I could use some inspiration right now! Even if I don't win the giveaway I'll have to go look for that book.
This book would never leave my side!
that book looks wonderful,
what a powerful woman!
crossing my fingers,
moldy.cake@gmail.com
ohhh, i love her already!
oh i've heard of this book, she sounds fascinating
I would love to read this book, it sounds captivating, and from what you've said it seems like it will have lots of inspiration.
Thanks for the opportunity!
A book giveaway, this is the best.
wow!! she's so amazing. would love to have the book.
http://missheadoverheels.blogspot.com/
Have no idea what kind of comment to leave, but would love this book!
This is so cool!! It would be so inspiring to read this book!
wow. beautiful book. beautiful work.
wow, that sounds intriquing.
lauren_gymnast1993@hotmail.com
:)
I've never heard of her until now...but wearing live snakes as jewelleries?..dat's something I wish I dare to do...I want d book!!!
oh wow. she sounds like a fascinating person. it would be amazing to own this book.
iliana
this is so cool
la_nanyss@hotmail.com
wow
she's and interesting person, that's for sure!
this is absolutely fantastic! *crosses fingers*
intrigued, interested, and would love to learn more about her!
this would be an incredible prize!
tkarpoich@gmail.com
wooohoo!! finally a contest open to international readers!
exeunt_s@yahoo.com.sg
-reader from singapore
Oh my god, I want it ! I adore this woman and have read the biography by the same authors (Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati).
So I cross my fingers !
she sounds fantastic! Snakes as jewelry? I'd be keen for that!
She sounds like a truly fascinating woman. If only the celebrities of today were as concerned with making art as they are with making scandals!
GORGEOUS
thanks for sharing darling
what an interesting giveaway, refreshing to have something more intellectually-based instead of just more materialistic giveaways
awesome
cannot wait to find out who wins, fingers crossed!
-cma
check out my blog @
cosmicaroline.blogspot.com
Thanks for bringing her to my attention- I've never heard of her before. This right here is precisely why I love the blogosphere!
Thanks!
A redhead renegade of her, and frankly any other time?
Sign me up! :) She sounds deliciously destructive.
Awesome giveaway! She's just such an amazing muse :)
Thanks!
I'm very intrigued!
Thank you for this giveaway!
ohericaerica@yahoo.com
Oh oh OH! I want this BADLY
I'm so SO excited for this book. She's really intriguing, and I think it'll be inspiring, to say the least.
Wow - you have the best giveaways! I have the postcard of Madame Casati taken by Man Ray hanging up in my bedroom.
musing_girl[at!]hotmail.com
Jenny
The book looks great! Would love to have a copy of it. megdomingo(at)yahoo.com
The last descriptive sentence definitely caught my attention, I'm curious to know what the book offers!
I don't know much about her, but you have certainly got me interested. The books sounds incredible.
Oh wow, that book does sound super interesting and inspiring!
Lovely!
Kiss from Portugal:)
Susana (oliveira.s.susana@gmail.com)
Such fabulous women are few and far between. Don't you just love marvellous people?
xo
What an interesting-looking individual and book!
Wow! It looks awesome!
I love this! Great idea for a giveaway
Sure I'll take it! Thanks!
Among the designers still inspired by her today are...the designers of the line Marchesa ;-)
i have just recently been obsessively intrigued by this wonderful woman, and she has outdone herself with the beauty she inspired... the chanel show was utterly stunning and the pictures, the art, the, oh my! i label her my heroine!
you can get in touch with me via:
http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?id=775618
leave a comment or message me... i just dont feel comfortable giving out my email, sorry.
fiesty redheads unite! mwardian@gmail.com
I just wanna say, I love your clothes^^ and your look and your wonderful dresses. very amazing!.:)
She's incredible. The red hair has always been a focal point for art...like the pre raphaelites!
what a gorgeous cover. love!
let me win! let me win!
If there's one thing I can't ever get enough of it's books!
Throw my name in the hat, pretty please.
xoxo
Amazing giveamway, amazing blog!
Thank You!
este11@freemail.hu
Oooh yes please! lol_keira@hotmail.com
I'd love this book! Entering at once!
Hmm sounds interesting :)
Put my name in the hat!
Xxx
A book! How wonderfull is this :)
"only books can give true magic"
best wishes,
lara530@hotmail.com
lovely book!
how absolutely wonderful!
I've never heard of her before
but I'm really intrigued now
to look her up. :')
fascinating woman, fascinating book
Count me in.
cool giveaway! :)
katthroatworld.blogspot.com
k a t t h r o a t w o r l d @ g m a i l . c o m
must have book.
I looked her up after seeing the giveaway and I learned she was a mistress to Kerouac, which I told my brother who is obsessed with Kerouac and he knew all about her. A 20 minute convo about her and Kerouac followed. So thanks! haha
maglan26@gmail.com
I'm embarrassed to say, I know very little about her but she sounds fascinating! Plus I love a good BIO. ;)
what an eccentric lady, quite strange about her pets but thats what makes her very very special :)
absolutely wanna know about her and she is gonna be my new favorite human :)
xx
wina
no_escape@live.com
Fun!
I saw that book in a magazine just last night and I was lusting after it all of today. I can't believe you are giving it away. What a coincidence! Love your blog.
ohmyWOWs that looks absolutely incredible!
first time poster and i gotta say, your blog has gotten me SO into fashion and clothing and has given me a ridiculous amount of inspiration!
thank you lots :)
what a fabulous giveaway! crossing my fingers <3
HARDLY COMMON.
thyyladyy@hotmail.com
Fantastic book!
She's just so amazing and I wanna meet her in person :)
love love all the photos here !
amazing painting! i hope i win.
:)
so exciting, thank you for this giveaway! xo.
So inspiring!! I want this!
Such an interesting woman! I'd love to read this book!
What wouldn't a girl do to get this beautiful book? I'm definitely in.
annamaria.seppa@gmail.com
Love your blog! You have killer style and are an inspiration for me. The book sounds amazing. Must have.
i was casati for halloween a few years ago :)
This is a great idea for giveaway; I love books.
What a fun book to have around the house. I'd love to learn more about this woman.
What a captivating image and what a great giveaway -- this would be a lovely book to have! I'd be interested to learn more about this woman. - JoAnn
Cool!
clau.feb@gmail.com
wow i never heard of her! what an interesting story. i'm an art history major so the paintings prove particularly captivating. what a haunting face.
thanks for the contest xx
dolphinv27@aol.com
She's definitely interesting. Great giveaway
i'd love to own this book :)
happy thanksgiving!
xo
WOW...she sounds unbelievably fascinating. I would love to devour this book (fabulous giveaway).
VERY intrigued! I had no idea who she was but I know a lot of her portraits!
Specially because at some point in life (a looooooong time ago) I wrote a big on Toulouse Lautrec and that painting of her with the fire red hair is looking very familiar to me...It's buggin me, I need to know if it is one of his! (I have horrible memory!)
Oh how I love books. Especially ones with pretty pictures.
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