Portret van een onbekende prostituee met een glas whiskey 1911 - 1970

This photograph by E. J. Bellocq gives us a peek into a New Orleans brothel in the early 20th century. What might it have been like for Bellocq to set up his camera in such a space? Did he know this woman, or was she just a passing subject, a new face in the crowd? I imagine him, a bit of an outsider, quietly observing and trying to capture something real. The way she holds that glass of whiskey, that slightly sad look in her eyes, makes me wonder about her story. Those striped stockings and the worn wallpaper in the background feel like details loaded with meaning. It's not just a picture; it's a moment frozen in time. Painters like Alice Neel come to mind, artists who weren't afraid to look honestly at their subjects, flaws and all. Bellocq's photo, in its own way, does the same. It's a reminder that art can find beauty and truth in the unexpected, and sometimes in the places we least expect.