Wayne McCoy's Reviews > La Casati: La musa egoista

'La Casati: The Selfish Muse' with story and art by Vanna Vinci is a graphic novel based on the life of Luisa Casati Amman, otherwise known as "The Marchesa." I wasn't familiar with who she was, but her face was immediately familiar to me.

Luisa Casati spent her life and fortune trying to transform herself into art. She is known for her pale features and overly made up dark eyes. She was the subject of numerous paintings and photographs in the 20th century, many of which are recreated in these pages. Her obsession with the strange ended up bankrupting her and alienating her from friends and most of her family.

The story is told by a series of the real life people who show up in the book, including La Casati herself. I found this a good way to tell the story and keep the narrative balanced. I really liked the art in this book. The style matches the flamboyance of the subject.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.