Jane Avril inspired the character Satine in the musical film Moulin Rouge—and her life was just as tragic as Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of her.
When she was only a child, Sai Jinhua was sold into service… She had no clue that she’d become one of the most tragic courtesans in history.
Catherine Walters was one of the last great courtesans of Victorian London. But there was much more to this complex woman than the men she entangled herself with.
Veronica Franco was one of the most sought-after courtesans of the 1500s—but the higher she rose, the farther she had to fall.
After a dizzying life of love affairs and wild parties, Liane De Pougy’s life came full circle when she decided to become a sister.
La Paiva’s husband couldn’t bring himself to bury her when she died. Instead, he injected her with embalming fluid, preserving her beauty.
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