Işıksız Fener: 17.Yüzyıl Hollanda Resminde Fahişe Betimleri

A Lantern Without Light: The Depiction Of Prostitutes In 17th Century Dutch Paintings

With the changing political, religious, economic and social conditions in the 17th Century Netherlands, many things changed for the artist as well as the themes s/he undertook. It is known that the “Genre” paintings of the period contain a lot of symbolism and allusions. Some of these works seem to be simple entertainment or daily life scenes while they actually depict a brothel, a prostitute, a proposal or a courting couple. This paper, which focuses on six different titles, deals with these themes and their possible meanings.