The pre-war world of 1912 looked very different than our modern world—especially in regard to commercial displays of fashion. During the pre-war period, societal norms concerning morality held the advertisement industry to high moral standards. Fashion catalogues displayed drawn images of featured clothing either on a white, traditional mannequin or tastefully draped across a male or female figure. Unlike our world today, sexualized images were not deemed appropriate for the public. Today, one can hardly enter a store in the mall without being confronted by an image of a practically nude female. These images are so commonplace today that we barely blink when we see a model sporting only a thong, arms gripped across her bare chest. Such blatant displays of female sexuality would have disrupted an entire nation, as it did in 1913 Germany. In “Ernst Kirchner’s Streetwalkers: Art, Luxury, and Immorality in Berlin, 1913-1916,” author Sherwin Simmons examines the relationship between Ernst Kirchner’s Strassenbilder (street …show more content…
In this work, Kirchner depicts a beautiful woman standing on a street corner as a line of men behind her descend diagonally in the distance. It is implied that this woman is a prostitute, for she wears a fashionable clothing. A dress hugs her hips tightly as a corset laced in the front lifts her breasts. Her face peeks out from under a flower-laden hat, beckoning her suitors to come closer. Her stance also depicts one of a cocotte. The two women bare their naked arms as they place their hand on their hips, projecting the hip out farther. This draws attention to the curved female form—a vision of desire. Meanwhile, the presence of multiple men in the background imply that the prostitute was an easily attainable commodity to the masses. Either the image of the common whore or the prostitute herself were everywhere—available to every passing