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She was one of the most celebrated women of the Parisian Belle Époque. Princes and kings admired her, audiences adored her, and her magnificent jewels became almost as famous as she was.

But who was the woman behind La Belle Otero?

Born into poverty in Galicia in 1868, Carolina Otero experienced terrible violence as a child, yet went on to create an extraordinary international career as a dancer and entertainer. She accumulated an enormous fortune, only to lose almost everything through gambling.

When I painted her portrait, I wanted to capture the flamboyance, confidence and glamour of this remarkable woman. The almost masculine hat, the pearls, the expression of someone who could command a room. But I also wanted to give her a glimpse of sadness.

Researching Carolina's childhood brought back something very personal about my own mother's life, and reminded me why I feel so strongly about telling women's stories.

In this week's Thursday Women, I look beyond the famous admirers, the diamonds and the legends, to discover the woman herself.

And I also found a fascinating little film, said to show Carolina dancing more than 125 years ago, with two rather mysterious gentlemen behaving strangely in the background!

The painting featured here is my original interpretation of La Belle Otero. Canvas prints are available through my Printumo shop and from this website.