Courtesans, royal mistresses, scandalous women of every sort—the walls of the Metropolitan Museum are lined with them, from ancient Greek hetaerae to Sargent’s Madame X.

These women, famous not only for sex-appeal but also for their talents—and for a spirit which today we would call ‘entrepreneurial’— fascinated both their wealthy patrons and the artists who created the world’s great masterpieces.

But who were they? How did they rise to their positions? And how did they maintain their prominence despite their scandalous reputations?

5 Star Guided Tours of the Metropolitan Museum