Prostitution In Degas's Argument Essay

The time period in which this painting was created was rampant with prostitution so it’s not really a surprise that it became a subject that artist took interest in. Degas was one such painter that found the life of prostitutes interesting enough to capture. Although the artwork inspired by this subject matter was never displayed it was something that he seemed very invested in creating. The unique thing about Degas’s depictions of these women is how un-idealized these women seem. While other artist depicted prostitutes (and women in general) as soft idealized figures Degas made them look stiff, “dirty” and even sometimes unnatural. They were sometimes very shaded in and had body parts that didn’t really look like they belonged there. Through all his depictions of prostitutes the artwork that caught my eyes the most was The Client (Le Client).1879. The overall artwork was made like the others; women in the nude drawn in only black in white, while sitting on furniture waiting for a client. What stands out about this though is that there is a third figure on the right side of the painting, a man completely dressed in black and wearing a top hat. The fact that the man is present is important because of the fact that the other surrounding artworks never seem to fully depict a …show more content…
He creates something that isn’t overly fetishized (although there are elements of that included) and idealistic, but he doesn’t give us the reality of the situation either. He gives us a strange but entrancing viewpoint of a world that is only heard about. The women aren’t beautiful or seductive, as you would expect a prostitute to be portrayed, but they are interesting and, strangely, alluring to look at. The possibilities of what their postures could mean and how their jobs reflect in their sitting positions definitely catches the imagination and interest of any