Colorized Vintage Portrait of Cleo de Merode (1875-1966)

Another colorized vintage dark beauty (dark as in darkly photographed), a deadringer for the young Isabella Rosellini, daughter of the late Ingrid Bergman,. This time, someone quite popular during her time - the French Ballet Dancer Cleo De Merode (1875 - 1966) taken in 1903 . She was more known for her legendary beauty than dancing skills and at 22 became the mistress of 61-year old Belgian King Leopold II after attending one of her ballet performances. The model of choice among painters, sculptors and photographers (considered the most photographed woman during her prime) she was the first elite ballerina to dance with the Follies Bergere creating a sensation and a more modern following.

I made extensive creative liberties as you can see in the comparative. I threw out historic accuracy to get the outcome I want. In the first place, I have no information on her eyes and hair color.as the online sources I visited didn't have them (No problem as I can alter this when I have the information.) As it is, black hair and blue eyes are rare among peoples, but they do exist mostly in northern Europe. (Elizabeth Taylor who was British by birth, had raven hair and violet eyes. and was an example of a rare DNA mix.).

Her jewelry was a bit pathetic so I composited one from an online gold chain file. I added a rear bun on her head just to echo the red on her blouse which was also composited from a red mink coat. Her eyelashes which were only hinted at in the original were further detailed.