Valtesse de La Bigne
Valtesse de La Bigne | |
|---|---|
Valtesse de La Bigne, by Henri Gervex, musée d'Orsay, Paris | |
| Born | Émilie-Louise Delabigne 1848 Paris, France |
| Died | 29 July 1910 Ville-d'Avray, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | Courtesan, actress, art collector |
Émilie-Louise Delabigne, known as Countess Valtesse de La Bigne (1848, in Paris – 29 July 1910, in Ville-d'Avray), was an elite French courtesan and demi-mondaine who rose through the social ranks to mix with Paris's most glamorous elite. Although born to a working-class family in Paris, she built a life for herself and became a muse to artists like Henri Gervex, Édouard Manet, as well as novelist Émile Zola. Beyond her career as a courtesan, she was also an actress, an art collector, and salonnière.