Skip to main content

Prostitutes Being Led Off to La Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris

1771
Jean Charles Levasseur (French, 1734–1816) After a painting of 1757 by Étienne Jeaurat (French, 1699–1789) Published by Le Vasseur, rue des Mathurins
By the 1750s, Étienne Jeaurat, a successful painter of mythological subjects at the Royal Academy, had come to specialize in scenes of everyday life in Paris. In this engraving after a painting exhibited by Jeaurat in the 1757 Salon, a wagon of prostitutes accompanied by soldiers is led to La Salpêtrière hospital on the outskirts of Paris, where they are to be incarcerated in the facility's prison quarters. The covered wagon passing under the arch at left was used to transport women who paid to have their identities protected.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.