Silk was big business in eighteenth-century Europe, so much so that Casanova set up his own silk fabric workshop in Paris which employed 20 young women (20 young women who were to become a very expensive harem). Unfortunately, the business floundered, losing Casanova a small fortune.
Paris was an important market for the silk business and Kirsty Hassard has provided a fascinating insight into Paris at the time from the perspective of the silk designer Antoine-Nicolas Joubert – here.
An account by Melinda Watt of silk textile production in Europe, 1600-1800 can be found at the The Met museum here.
‘Casanova in Paris: The Shadows of the King’ is freely available here.
Long form articles on Casanova’s life and times are freely available here.
#paris #silk #eighteenthcentury #history #casanova
