A revitalization effort is underway in Amsterdam’s city center that is replacing some brothels with low-rent studio space for artists. As this Reuter’s article points out, there’s a long history of artists and prostitutes cohabitating on the fringe of society. These relationships often served as creative inspiration for artists who, of course, are influenced by their immediate surroundings.
A famous example, of course, is many of the well-known images produced by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), including The Medical Inspection shown above. By the way, quite a few Toulouse-Lautrec pieces were sold this week at the Christie’s prints and multiples sale in New York.
With the magic of Google, I also discovered this homemade video on the history of prostitution in art that’s worth a quick look. Try not to get too excited.
¡Viva la vida!