A courtesan in mid-16th century usage referred to a mistress or trained artisan of dance and singing, especially one associated with wealthy, powerful, or upper-class men who provided luxuries and status in exchange for companionship (basically and frankly speaking, a call girl who only took high-class clientele). In Renaissence Europe, courtesans played an important role in upper-class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social functions. As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives—commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances—men would often seek gratification and companionship from a courtesan.
A mistress is a man’s long term female sexual partner and companion who is not married to him, especially used when the man is married to another woman. The relationship is generally stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple do not live together openly. Also, the relationship is usually but not always secret, and there is the implication that a mistress may be “kept”—i.e., that the man is paying for some of the woman’s living expenses, or provides her with an allowance.
Madame de Pompadour the mistress of King Louis XV of France . circa 1750)
a Mistress – Historically, the term has denoted a kept woman, who was maintained in a comfortable (or even lavish) lifestyle by a wealthy man so that she will be available for his sexual pleasure. Such a woman could move between the roles of a mistress and a courtesan depending on her situation and environment. Today, however, the word mistress is used primarily to refer to the female companion of a man who is married to another woman; in the case of an unmarried man it is usual to speak of a ” girlfriend ” or ” partner .”
Historically a man “kept” a mistress. As the term implies, he was responsible for her debts and provided for her in much the same way as he did his wife, although not legally bound to do so. In more recent and emancipated times, it is more likely that the mistress has a job of her own, and is less, if at all, financially dependent on the man.
A mistress is not a call girl. While a mistress, if “kept”, may essentially be exchanging sex for money, the principal difference is that a mistress keeps herself exclusively reserved for one man, in much the same way as a wife, and there is not so much of a direct quid pro pro quo between the money and the sex act. There is also usually an emotional and possibly social relationship between a man and his mistress, whereas the relationship to a prostitute is predominantly sexual.
The historically best known and most researched mistresses are the royal mistresses of European monarchs , for example Nelll Gwinne and Madame de Pompadour . However, the keeping of a mistress in Europe was not confined to royality and nobility but permeated down through the social ranks.
In the mid 16 century essentially, there were two types of courtesans. In one category was a type of courtesan known (in Italy) as the cortigiana onesta , or the honest courtesan, 
who was cast as an intellectual.
In the other was the cortigiana di lume, a lower class of courtesan. Although the latter was still considered better than an average working-girl, the former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more-or-less equal to women of royalty. 
It is with this type of courtesan that the art of “courtisanerie” is best associated.
The cortigiane oneste were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their “breeding”—social and conversational skills, intelligence, common-sense, and companionship—as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. They were prostitutes in the sense that sex was one of their obligations, but unlike the average prostitute, sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan’s array of services. For example, they were expected to be well-dressed and ready to engage in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics.
DIFFERENCES IN STATUS
AS PRIMARY EMPLOYMENT
Courtesans from non-wealthy backgrounds were expected to provide charming companionship for extended periods, no matter what their own feelings or commitments might have been at the time, and had to be prepared to do so on short notice. They were also subject to lower social status, and often religious disapproval, because of the perceived immoral aspects of their profession and their reliance upon courtisanerie as a primary source of income. In cases like this, a courtesan was solely dependent on her benefactor or benefactors financially, making her vulnerable.
Often, courtesans serving in this capacity began their career as a prostitute, or were passed from one benefactor to another, thereby resulting in them being viewed in society circles as lower than both their benefactor and those of wealth and power with whom they would socialize. Often, in instances of this sort, if the courtesan had satisfactorily served a benefactor, that benefactor would, when ending the affair, pass them on to another benefactor of wealth as a favor to the courtesan, or set them up in an arranged marriage to a semi-wealthy benefactor. In the event that the courtesan had angered or dissatisfied a benefactor, they would often find themselves cast out of wealthy circles, returning more often than not to street prostitution.
Those from wealthy backgrounds, either by birth or marriage, and who were only acting as courtesans for the social or political advancement of themselves and/or their spouses, were generally treated as equals. They were more respected by their extramarital companions, both placing one another’s family obligations ahead of the relationship and planning their own liaisons or social engagements around the lovers’ marital obligations.
Affairs of this sort would often be short-lived, ending when either the courtesan or the courtesan’s spouse received the status or political position desired, or when the benefactor chose the company of another courtesan, and compensated the former companion financially. In instances like this, it was often viewed simply as a business agreement by both parties involved. The benefactor was aware of the political or social favors expected by the courtesan, the courtesan was aware of the price expected from them for those favors being carried out, and the two met one another’s demands.
This was generally a safe affair, as both the benefactor’s spouse and the courtesan’s spouse usually were fully aware of the arrangement, and the courtesan was not solely dependent on the benefactor. It, rather, was simply an affair of benefits gained for both those involved. Publicly and socially, affairs of this sort were common during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the early 20th century, and were generally accepted in wealthy circles
In later centuries, from the mid-18th century on, courtesans would often find themselves cast aside by their benefactors, but the days of public execution or imprisonment based on their promiscuous lifestyle were over. There are many examples of courtesans who, by remaining discreet and respectful to their benefactors, were able to extend their careers into or past middle age and retire financially secure. By the late 19th century, and for a brief period in the early 20th century, courtesans had reached a level of social acceptance in many circles and settings, often even to the extent of becoming a friend and confidant to the wife of their benefactor
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