Taking Prostitutes to the SalpêtrièreÉtienne Jeaurat

Étienne Jeaurat’s 1757 painting depicts prostitutes being led to the Salpêtrière, a notorious Parisian institution near the Porte Saint-Bernard. It reflects 18th-century France’s social and moral attitudes, where women deemed immoral were confined by the state. The artwork highlights the era’s punitive measures and societal norms, illustrating the intersection of gender and power.