Inheriting a vast fortune and title of nobility in her teenage years, Casati crafted a persona as a prominent muse and patron of the arts. She fashioned herself as a living work of art. The dark kohl around her eyes, bleached skin, cropped hair, and pupils dilated with belladonna inspired renowned artists, authors, and designers. She was known to wear live snakes as jewelry and to parade with a pair of leashed cheetahs through the streets of Venice in nothing but a fur coat. These antics shocked high society and solidified her place as a cultural icon. Man Ray captured her striking a dramatic pose fitting of her sensational legacy.