Gervex glamorizes the act of prostitution through his use of inspiration through mythology, and by at first, making the painted scene look less related to prostitution than it actually is. Paris in the late 19th Century was a city in the midst of a massive social transition, and the art of the time depicted much of that. It illustrated a new urban world, following the lifestyle and up rise of prostitutes. Prostitutes and courtesans of all classes absorbed artists and writers. The interest of the artist on prostitutes as subjects follows the trend of women being either housewives, or working jobs, which at the time were slim, convincing many to partake in prostitution. Prostitution was for these painters an act of modernity, and while they
