In 1850, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, became famous for her extreme dieting practices, which included rigorous exercise and fasting to maintain an 18-inch waist. Her obsession with beauty and slenderness influenced European royalty and the elite, setting trends in fashion and body image. Sisi's life and struggles with self-image reflect broader societal pressures on women regarding appearance and the pursuit of perfection during the 19th century.

Empress Elisabeth (Sisi)'s extreme dieting in the 1850s became a subject of fascination, romanticized in poetry as a tragic ideal of beauty. This narrative shaped literary explorations of isolation and perfectionism, influencing poets to delve into the complexities of identity and societal expectations.