Salon de la rue des Moulins (1894)
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Both as a customer and also because he preferred the natural poses of prostitutes to the fixed poses of professional models, Lautrec used to go to brothels, in particular the one in the rue des Moulins where he stayed.
The world of prostitution inspired Lautrec to paint numerous canvasses which are however devoid of voyeurism or any moral judgment. He would observe the women in their everyday poses, in their intimate surroundings, in scenes where the customer is practically absent.
The chef d'œuvre in this series, Salon in rue des Moulins (1894) shows bored prostitutes seated on flashy lush velvet sofas: in the foreground, Mireille, whom Lautrec particularly appreciated, seems to lead us into the composition via the diagonal of her outstretched leg.