A Brothel Scene, by an Unknown Artist of the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

A Brothel Scene, by an unknown artist of the second half of the eighteenth century. France.

In the reception room of a house of ill repute, an aristocrat is met by the madam and one of her girls. The procuress's apron pocket is stuffed with money. Between her and the visitor stands a dog, usually the symbol of fidelity, but in our scene this allegory of loyalty is barking at the man who has turned to the services of a priestess of love. Behind the madam's back is an open privy, as if to underline the exposure of life's unsavoury underside. Beyond the curtain, a half-open door shows the girl herself, standing in an attitude of expectation. Further on we see a dressing room with the characteristic appurtenances of intimate hygiene of the period: a bidet, a sponge, bandages and a clyster. On a hook in the little room hang a towel and a peignoir. The room is provided with a separate entrance for the girl, which allows her to come and go unnoticed. The brothel-keeper's dress is rather short and bares her ankles, pointing to the carnal meaning of what is going on