Fanny Blanc: The Courtesan Model Who Wasn't

A 19th Century Parisian Art Mystery

The Blue Ribbon, by Alfred Stevens, c. 1870. Private collection.

I want to take a few minutes today to tell you the story of Fanny Blanc. She was the great love of one of the most celebrated painters of the 19th century, even though he is now often overlooked.

As many of you know, I’m writing a biography of Victorine Meurent, favorite model of the painter