Cora Pearl
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Of real-life demimonde, the most famous was arguably Cora Pearl. Cora Pearl, during her life, was the acknowledged Queen of the Paris courtesans. Cora's lovers, all wealthy noblemen, she called her 'chain of gold' - and included such notables as the Duc de Rivoli and even (she claimed) Prince Napoleon. Cora was so successful with her 'chain of gold' she literally made and spent millions of francs during her life. But, she was not a simple hedonist - during the Siege of Paris, Cora turned her mansion into a hospital for wounded soldiers. Cora's memoirs were discovered in 1982 in the hands of a German collector, and released by Granada Publishing Ltd in 1983, under the title The Memoirs of Cora Pearl: The Erotic Reminiscences of a Flamboyant 19th Century Courtesan. Her memoirs are, as the title declares, erotic reminiscences where she discusses in the most graphic detail the sexual prowess and tastes of her lovers, both famous and humble. Possibly the most titillating (and telling) scene describes her presentation at dinner, naked and decked in cream, as a final dish.
Citations
- The Memoirs of Cora Pearl: The Erotic Reminiscences of a Flamboyant 19th Century Courtesan edited by William Blatchford (1983). London; New York: Granada. ISBN 0-246-11915-2.
