Her brothel was the most exclusive in Paris during that age, and Gourdan was arguably the most famous of her profession. She was the second child of 10 to 12 siblings.
Gourdan started work in a fashion store [1] but went to Paris in the company of a young officer who soon left her. With the consent of her spouse, she prostituted herself. As a result of this birth, the officer provided her with an annual allowance [5] of six thousand livres , and gave her jewels and diamonds worth more than forty thousand livres.
The allowance ceased after the death of the nobleman in Dreaming of a house larger than the one in rue Sainte-Anne, Gourdan moved to rue Comtesse-d'Artois in , [6] [note 1] in a building then owned by a grocer named Marion. During her time in this street she gained the nickname of "Countess" or "Little Countess". Her teasing eyes gave off features which seldom failed in their purpose and manners, and her discourse announced that it would be of advantage in a theatre more worthy of its charms and its spirit.
Gourdan separated from her spouse in and, on 9 March , was granted a separation of property from her husband. Three years later, on 4 January , a fire destroyed part of the furniture in Gourdan's living room.
During her stay she met another woman, known for her beauty, wit and debauchery: Justine Paris. The enforced stay in the hospital enabled them to meditate on the disadvantages of the profession, and they considered a means likely to remedy it. As soon as they left the hospital, the two women began to execute their plan. In , on the corner of Rue Saint-Sauveur and rue des Deux-Portes now rue Dussoubs , they established a temple dedicated to the goddess Venus [8] with all the luxury and comfort available at the time.
