Man Paying a Prostitute, Bernard Picart, 1705
etching, h 78mm × w 104mm More details
The man tosses coins in the prostitute’s lap, a symbol of unequal love. She brushes his hand aside. The caption cautions against paid love, which hardly involves the heart. Picart’s oeuvre is extensive. His prints were hugely popular and thus also frequently copied for commercial purposes, whether or not in reverse.
