Brothel Scene Gm-13371301

Edgar Degas (French, 1834–1917) Peering through an open doorway with her back to the viewer, a prostitute stands looking into the room beyond. With a few hasty strokes, Edgar Degas suggested the scantily clad figure, robed only in a flimsy chemise with bedraggled bows on her shoulders and slippers and a dark ribbon holding her hair, the ends of which hang down her back. Three vertical lines representing the doorframe and open door effectively frame the simple, evocative scene. Scholars believe the drawing is based on a scene from the novel La Fille Elisa (The Girl Elisa), which tells the story of a girl who became a prostitute.

The simple realities of everyday life captured the artist's interest, revealing his gift for expression in every line. When another artist invited him to go to a café, Degas objected to traveling by horse-drawn cab, saying, "Personally, I don't like cabs. You don't see anyone. That's why I love to ride on the omnibus-you can look at people. We were created to look at one another, weren't we?"