10 Infamous Women of the Night Who Left Their Mark on History (11 photos)

While historical figures like King Louis XV, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and King Charles II are household names, few realize that behind these powerful men stood influential mistresses who often served as trusted advisors and mothers to their children.





These women etched their names into the annals of history, even if their trade was selling affection for wealth and status. Yet many of history’s most famous mistresses were highly educated artists, actresses, and intellectuals. Their lives were steeped in mystery and intrigue, and powerful men were willing to go to any length to win their favor.

Phryne



Phryne is one of the few courtesans whose beauty can still be admired in fine art museums today. The ancient Greek beauty posed for the renowned painter Apelles and the sculptor Praxiteles, who famously created the first full-scale nude statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Phryne accumulated so much wealth that she offered to rebuild the city walls of Thebes, which had been destroyed by Alexander the Great, entirely at her own expense. However, like many courtesans of her era, she faced widespread prejudice and condemnation.

When put on trial for impiety, she won her acquittal in dramatic fashion by disrobing in front of the judges to reveal her breathtaking form. Astonished by her beauty, the court acquitted her, believing that a body so divine could not harbor a deceitful soul.

Veronica Franco





Veronica Franco was one of the most celebrated figures of Renaissance Venice. Beyond her work as a courtesan, she was an accomplished poet and scholar whose literary works were published during her lifetime. She even established a charity to support impoverished courtesans and their children, and among her high-profile lovers was King Henry III of France.

Franco moved in Venice’s most prestigious literary salons and counted leading philosophers and writers among her friends. Following a plague outbreak, she was brought before the Inquisition on charges of heresy and witchcraft, but her passionate and eloquent self-defense secured her acquittal.

Madame du Barry



Madame du Barry rose to prominence at the French court as the official chief mistress of King Louis XV. Born Jeanne Bécu, she began her career as a Parisian courtesan, quickly capturing the attention of wealthy aristocrats.

It was in these elite circles that she caught the eye of the melancholy French monarch. To facilitate her presentation at court, a marriage was arranged with a nobleman. Following Louis XV’s death, she was exiled to a convent, and during the French Revolution, she was ultimately executed by guillotine in Paris.

Sally Salisbury

Sally Salisbury was a notorious and wildly popular courtesan in 18th-century London. By the age of 14, she was already working in high-class brothels catering to the aristocracy. Known for her striking looks, sharp wit, and fiery temper, her violent outbursts eventually proved to be her downfall. After stabbing a client over a pair of opera tickets, she was imprisoned, later dying behind bars from complications of syphilis.

Nell Gwyn

Nell Gwyn was a celebrated mistress of King Charles II of England, with whom she had two sons. She started out selling oranges in the theatre as a girl before falling in love with the stage itself. Gwyn went on to become one of the era’s most beloved comic actresses, winning over both the public and the king.

Cora Pearl



Born Emma Elizabeth Crouch in 19th-century London, she was educated at a French boarding school. After surviving a sexual assault by an unknown man who left her money afterward, she refused to return home and chose instead to become a courtesan, adopting the name Cora Pearl. She became a sensation in Paris, counting high-society aristocrats and influential public figures among her patrons.

Catherine Walters



In the 19th century, Victorian London was captivated by Catherine Walters, a stunning courtesan and fashion icon. Highly educated and widely admired, she drew crowds to Hyde Park simply to watch her ride in impeccably tailored equestrian attire. Her suitors included the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Napoleon III. Unlike many courtesans of her era, Walters enjoyed a comfortable retirement and died peacefully at the age of 80.

Lulu White



No history of early 20th-century Storyville, New Orleans' famous red-light district, is complete without brothel madam Lulu White. Her lavish establishment was a hotspot for jazz enthusiasts, offering 15 luxurious rooms for her clientele. White’s legacy was so enduring that she was immortalized in Louis Armstrong’s classic jazz track, Mahogany Hall Stomp.

Calamity Jane



Martha Jane Cannary, better known as Calamity Jane, was a legendary Wild West frontierswoman, army scout, Indian fighter, and performer in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Yet few know that she also spent time working as a prostitute in Fort Bridger, Wyoming. Contemporaries described her as an attractive woman with dark eyes, though she eventually preferred men's clothing for its practical convenience on the frontier.

Sada Abe



Sada Abe dreamed of becoming a geisha from a young age and trained at a geisha house in Yokohama. However, she eventually ended up working as an unlicensed geisha offering sexual services before turning to prostitution. Troubled and fiercely possessive, Abe struggled with intense mental health issues and an insatiable sexual appetite.

She became a national sensation across Japan after being arrested for the murder of her lover, whom she asphyxiated during an erotic act before severing his genitals and carrying them with her. Over time, her shocking story passed into legend, inspiring countless artists, writers, philosophers, and filmmakers.