Bad Girls of the Edwardian Era

The Edwardian Era was a time of affluence and elegance coinciding with the Art Nouveau movement and the work of Alphonse Mucha. Known for his graceful, decorative depictions of beautiful women surrounded by swirling botanical motifs, Mucha is perhaps the most beloved and imitated artist of the Belle Epoque.

My Bad Girls series pays homage to Mucha's glorious style but explores the darker side of Edwardian women. Probably the most obvious way for any woman to go wrong is through prostitution, and La Prostituée (The Prostitute) gives us a bold example, partially nude and displaying her floor-length hair in a self-consciously seductive pose inspired by legendary Instagram model Floor Length Frankie.

The flourishing opium trade of the late 19th and early 20th centuries ensnared women as well as men. La Fumeuse D'Opium (The Opium Smoker) presents a nude addict reclining in a drug-induced stupor with the opium pipe still in her hand.

L'Empoisonneuse (The Poisoner) acknowledges the timeless appeal to women of poisoning as a way to commit murder. This poisoner is surrounded by the tools of her trade: hemlock around her head, yellow datura flowers on either side, spotted Amanita Muscaria mushrooms in the background, and the deadly white Amanita Phalloides mushroom on the little table beside her. The model for this poisoner is, once again, the lovely Floor Length Frankie.

The worst outcome for any Bad Girl is the mortal sin of death by her own hand. La Suicidée (The Suicide) presents an aerial view of a young woman who has opened her veins in the bath. The model for this scene is the Instagram star Serena.