Kitty Fisher

Kitty Fisher
"Kitty Fisher and parrot", by Joshua Reynolds (1763/4)
Born	Catherine Marie Fischer 1741
Died	1767 (aged 25–26)
Nationality	British
Occupation	Courtesan
Spouse(s)	John Norris (m. 1766)

Kitty Fisher (1741–1767) was a prominent British courtesan. From her teen years onwards, Fisher carefully developed her public image, which was boosted by attention from Sir Joshua Reynolds and other artists. By emphasizing Fisher's beauty, audacity, and charm, portraits and newspaper and magazine articles promoted her reputation and prompted spectators to view her with redoubled awe. She was one of the world's first celebrities famous not for being an actress, musician or member of the royalty, but simply for being famous. Her life exemplifies the emergence of mass media publishing and fame in an era when capitalism, commercialism, global markets, and rising emphasis on public opinion were transforming England.

Born Catherine Marie Fischer, she was, according to some sources, originally a milliner, whom either Commodore Augustus Keppel or perhaps Lieutenant-General (then Ensign) Anthony George Martin (d. 1800) reportedly introduced to London high life. With a flair for publicity, she became known for her affairs with men of wealth. Her appearance and dress were scrutinized and copied, scurrilous broadsheets and satires upon her were printed and circulated, and several portraits of her by Reynolds, including one in which she posed as Cleopatra Dissolving the Pearl were engraved. Prints from these engravings were sold to thousands of her fans, making Kitty Fisher one of the first "pin-up" glamour girls.

In one famous incident, Fisher fell off her horse while riding in a public park. Scores of broadsheets, ballads, and prints mocked her, playing on the pun of being a fallen woman. But Kitty was not one to be outdone and immediately seized public attention for her own ends by having her portrait painted by Joshua Reynolds, the most prominent painter in England.

Her fame spread throughout Europe. When he visited London in 1763, the famous Italian lover Giacomo Casanova met Fisher and wrote:

It is unclear to what extent Casanova's account is to be trusted, as similar stories of a currency or bank-note sandwich were told about several other women who were Fisher's contemporaries. His insistence that Kitty spoke only English is contradicted by other sources. It is possible Casanova sought to link his name to Kitty's due to her celebrity.

Kitty maintained a famous rivalry with Maria Gunning, who had become Lady Coventry after a calculated insertion into the marriage market orchestrated by Gunning's mother. Kitty's rumored affair with Lord Coventry several years later sparked the rivalry. Giustiniana Wynne, visiting London at the time, wrote: