She could be seen strutting through Venice in the dark of night, with nothing but a fur coat on, as she walked her two pet cheetahs. Once described “as beautiful as a black panther, and also as dangerous”, this mysterious woman was one of the wealthiest and most outlandish characters in all of the 20th century.

In this episode we share the incredible life story of the Marchesa Luisa Casati, an Italian heiress who used her fortune to create a life of her wildest imagination. She was also one of the most important patrons of her time. She was painted by Giovanni Boldini, photographed by Man Ray, and sculpted by Jacob Epstein. It’s believed that Luisa commissioned over two hundred separate portraits of herself, with the aim to “commission her immortality”.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

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ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.