Infinite Variety: the Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati Free
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FREE INFINITE VARIETY: THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF THE MARCHESA CASATI PDF Scot D. Ryersson,Michael O. Yaccarino | 264 pages | 11 Aug 2004 | University of Minnesota Press | 9780816645206 | English | Minneapolis, United States Infinite Variety Ultimate Edition Uh-oh, it looks Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati your Internet Explorer is out of date. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. For the first three decades of the twentieth century, the Marchesa Luisa Casati astounded Europe. Artists such as Man Ray and Augustus John painted, sculpted, and photographed her; writers, including Jean Cocteau, Ezra Pound, and Jack Kerouac, praised her strange beauty; celebrities and royalty from around the world were amazed and awed by her lavish parties and spectacles at her homes in Italy and France. The extravagance ended in when Casati was more than twenty-five million dollars in debt, but she continued her iconoclastic and creative pursuits until her Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati in London in Her legacy continues, especially in contemporary fashion, with John Galliano, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld, and other designers inspired by her remarkable style. Fully authorized, completely updated, and richly illustrated, this is the fantastic story of the Marchesa Casati. Scot D. Ryersson is an award- winning writer, illustrator, and graphic designer. Michael Orlando Yaccarino is a freelance writer specializing in international genre film, fashion, music, and unconventional historical figures. He is famous for his autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant. Home 1 Books 2. Add to Wishlist. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Members save with free shipping everyday! See details. Overview For the first three decades of the twentieth century, the Marchesa Luisa Casati astounded Europe. About the Author Scot D. University of Minnesota Press. Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati by Scot D. Ryersson Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Infinite Variety by Scot D. Ryersson. Quentin Crisp Foreword by. Michael Orlando Yaccarino Contributor. For the first three decades of the twentieth century, the Marchesa Casati astounded Europe: nude servants gilded in gold leaf attended her; bizarre wax mannequins sat as guests at her dining table; and she was infamous for her evening strolls, naked beneath her furs, parading cheetahs on diamond-studded leashes. Artists painted, sculpted, and photographed her; poets praise For the first three decades of the twentieth century, the Marchesa Casati astounded Europe: nude servants gilded in gold leaf attended her; bizarre wax mannequins sat as guests at her dining table; and she was infamous for her evening strolls, naked beneath her furs, parading cheetahs on diamond-studded leashes. Artists painted, sculpted, and photographed her; poets praised her strange beauty. Some became lovers, others awestruck admirers, but all were influenced by this extraordinary muse. The extravagance ended in when Casati was more than twenty-five million dollars in debt. Fleeing to London, she spent her final flamboyant years there until her death in Fully authorized and accurate, this is the fantastic story of the Marchesa Luisa Casati. Scot D. Ryersson is an award-winning freelance writer, illustrator, and graphic designer. He lives in New Jersey. Michael Orlando Yaccarino is a freelance writer specializing in international genre film, fashion, music, and unconventional historical figures. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. More Details Original Title. Other Editions 6. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Infinite Varietyplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati 26, Tosh rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Female dandys. Anyone who was a 'muse' to a lot of artists and would wear incredible outfits and on top of that - have a pet leopard on a leash is ok with me. Why isn't there rich people like that anymore? View all 3 comments. Jun 10, Nikki rated it really liked it. I give the book four stars. I give the Marchesa Luisa Casati fifty. This woman was the original shocking bad ass goth girl. How had I never heard of this woman?! I once saw photos of her by Man Ray and was transfixed. She set out to make herself a living work of art. Born to unimaginable wealth inshe was a shy ugly duckling compared to her prettier older sister. Married to the Marchese Camillo Casati inhe brought the aristocratic title and she brought the wealth. It would have been I give the book four stars. She was far too wild for such a humdrum life. Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati walking her pet cheetahs down the Grand Canal in Venice, to kicking King Gustav V of Sweden out of one of her legendary masquerade balls for not being in costume he returned an hour later, appropriately attiredto being electrocuted not once - but twice - in malfunctioning electrified costumes one designed for her by Picasso to make her look like one of his drawingseverything she did was beyond belief. A muse, an inspiration, a selfish terror like no other. She inspired legendary designers from Patou, Poiret and Fortuny in the s to Galliano and Lagerfeld today. Once one of the richest women in the world, she lived a life of total excess and died in squalor. Such a fascinating woman. May 02, Christine rated it liked it. The role that the dashing Marchesa Luisa Casati played as a muse of the avant-garde throughout the entirety of last century in the realms of fashion and art can't be underestimated. It was interesting to link so many familiar images back to her. An entire aesthetic in fashion and art. She lived life in a vacuum, in a way completely unto herself and according to her own whims, while casting a brilliant inspiring glow. Perhaps to be truly unique is to be truly self-absorbed. I kept imagining what The role that the dashing Marchesa Luisa Casati played as a muse of the avant-garde throughout the entirety of last century in the realms of fashion Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati art can't be underestimated. I kept Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati what a nightmare of a roommate she would make, but that's neither here nor there, and for the purposes of the story, the authors do very little to pry open the gates of her psyche. This is a biography entirely devoid of personality and personal musings. Instead, we see the Marchesa Casati through the quotes, sculptures, paintings and photographs of those she inspired, and in this way, we see her best. I skimmed this one. It started okay and is filled with a lot of fabulous pictures. The subject was an extraordinarily unique individual who was an inspiration to many artists. She lived a fabulous life and spent money like water and ended up in poverty living on the kindness of old friends. The episodes off her astonishing parties, her incomparable costumes, her extravagances just got tiresome after a while. Aug 09, Missy rated it really liked it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the life history of the Marchesa Luisa Casati. The one aspest of the book that really excited me is the mention of so many female artists, which one does not come across too often regarding the significant contributions woment have provided to their art communities during their life time. At the same time, it was difficulty to read that most of the art work by these artists did not survive their times as well as their male counterparts. The last paragraph in the book I thoroughly enjoyed reading the life history of the Marchesa Luisa Casati. The last paragraph in the book best describes and sums up the Marchesa's life " I doubt if these women have knowledge of the Marchesa, however, they have been exposed to the fashion designers who may have knowledge of the "living art. Mar 09, Elizabeth rated it really liked it. Jul 03, Catherine Corman rated it it was amazing. Despite the squalor, she played, to the last notes, this ghostly echo of the D'Annunzian heroine. Sep 25, Joan rated it did not like it. The writers tried their best to create a sympathetic portrait of Luisa Casati, but I'm afraid they failed. When I didn't actively dislike her, I found her silly. Fascinating person as she was, this is a very repetitive tale. Aug 31, Kristin Winkler rated it liked it. A well-documented account of a decadent person living within decades where decadence was acceptable. Great detail of her dress and Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati however I could never get a sense of her personhood. Jun 23, Annie rated it really liked it Shelves: nonfictionfashion. Feb 12, Mellisande rated it it was amazing Shelves: decadence-symbolism19th- centurybiographybelle-poque. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Not only an account of the Divine Marchesa's extrordinary life and eccentric personality — but a history of the fantastic art she inspired.