In 19th century Paris, for both political and economic reasons, Parisian prostitution became a social phenomenon on an unprecedented scale. From the seedy part of town to the salons of the wealthy bourgeoisie, Paris became the capital of sex.
During this industrial revolution era, doctors and moralists, cops and robbers, bosses and workers all used prostitution ¨C and it inevitably attracted artists.
From the mid 19th century, it was as though prostitution had become a central, key theme of artistic creation. The film recounts the rise and metamorphosis of prostitution in the 19th century, through the eyes of artists, and the pictorial revolution that accompanied it. By exploring the representation of prostitution in 19th century arts, the film dwells on this very specific moment in the history of the "world's oldest profession".
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