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Deux filles de joies à Boulevard Rochechouart, Montmartre

Photograph
1932 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Brassaï was born in 1899 as Gyula Halász in the Transylvanian town of Brassó. He grew up in Budapest and spent the early 1920s in Berlin, training as a painter and working as a journalist. He moved to Paris in 1924, where he stayed until his death in 1984. He took up photography in Paris initially to support his written journalism, though he soon committed himself to a solely photographic practice. Brassaï is most well-known for his images of Parisian life, featuring brothels, prostitutes, city streets, architecture and high society alike. His first book, ‘Paris by Night’, was published in 1933 and established his reputation as a serious photographer.

Some of Brassaï’s most iconic images depict the scandalous nightlife in bars and brothels, exposing the city’s debaucherous underbelly. Scenes of prostitution, sexual interactions and nudity are not uncommon and present an almost practical view of the working women. Brassaï also frequented dance halls, depicting performers, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Overall, the indiscriminate scope of Brassaï’s photographs present this previously unseen side of Paris alongside more traditional subject matter such as society functions and opera dancers. His ability to document a complete cross section of society provides an authentic glimpse into Parisian life in the 1930s.


Object details

Category
Object type
Titles
  • Deux filles de joies à Boulevard Rochechouart, Montmartre (generic title)
  • Deux filles à Montmartre [Two women at Montmartre] (alternative title)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Photograph by Brassaï, 'Deux filles de joies à Boulevard Rochechouart, Montmartre' [two prostitutes at Boulevard Rochechouart, Montmartre], Paris, 1932, gelatin silver print
Physical description
Black and white photograph depicting two women seated at a table holding two glasses and five dice. There is a receipt stick in the background as well as a mirror, reflecting a bar scene.
Dimensions
  • Image width: 39.6cm (Note: image and paper are the same size)
  • Image height: 50.1cm (Note: image and paper are the same size)
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
Verso: Centre, black ink: '13' [encircled] Centre, red ink: 'pp.344' [encircled]
Credit line
Bequest of Gilberte Boyer Brassaï
Object history
This object came to the museum as part of a bequest of 99 photographs by Brassaï from his widow, Madame Gilberte Boyer.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Brassaï was born in 1899 as Gyula Halász in the Transylvanian town of Brassó. He grew up in Budapest and spent the early 1920s in Berlin, training as a painter and working as a journalist. He moved to Paris in 1924, where he stayed until his death in 1984. He took up photography in Paris initially to support his written journalism, though he soon committed himself to a solely photographic practice. Brassaï is most well-known for his images of Parisian life, featuring brothels, prostitutes, city streets, architecture and high society alike. His first book, ‘Paris by Night’, was published in 1933 and established his reputation as a serious photographer.

Some of Brassaï’s most iconic images depict the scandalous nightlife in bars and brothels, exposing the city’s debaucherous underbelly. Scenes of prostitution, sexual interactions and nudity are not uncommon and present an almost practical view of the working women. Brassaï also frequented dance halls, depicting performers, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. Overall, the indiscriminate scope of Brassaï’s photographs present this previously unseen side of Paris alongside more traditional subject matter such as society functions and opera dancers. His ability to document a complete cross section of society provides an authentic glimpse into Parisian life in the 1930s.
Bibliographic reference
Alain Sayag and Annick Lionel-Marie, Brassaï: No Ordinary Eyes, London: Thames & Hudson (2000), p79
Collection
Accession number
E.909-2014

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Record createdApril 15, 2015
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