Novice Prostitute, Place d'Italie

c. 1931 (printed 1950s)
(French, 1899–1984)
Image: 23.5 x 17.5 cm (9 1/4 x 6 7/8 in.)
© The Brassaï Estate - RMN
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location: not on view

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Description

Unlike Brassaï, whose views of Parisian night life included people of all professions and proclivities, Monsieur X devoted himself to one subject: erotic views of the women in a Paris brothel. This amateur, whose identifity remains unknown, took professional quality photographs in the 1920s and 1930s purely for his own pleasure. Not until he was in his eighties did he sell them to a bookseller known for his discretion. The Three Graces, female figures who served as exemplars of beauty, charm, and creativity in Greek and Roman mythology, have been a popular subject in art since the Renaissance.
Novice Prostitute, Place d'Italie

Novice Prostitute, Place d'Italie

c. 1931 (printed 1950s)

Brassaï

(French, 1899–1984)
France, 20th century

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