Celebrity courtesans and brothels - How the 18th century became the golden age of prostitution in Europe

In the 18th century, prostitution was an integral part of society: it was present on the streets, in salons, and often took place in public

18th-century Europe treated eroticism and the institution of female companionship in a very particular way. While the morals of the age appeared strict, the world of brothels and courtesans began to flourish as never before.

More than one prostitute became a genuine public figure, immortalised in paintings, patronised by aristocrats, and talked about by townsfolk just as people today talk about celebrities and OnlyFans models.

Why did the 18th century bring the golden age of prostitution?

The boom in prostitution was driven primarily by social and economic reasons. Most marriages were arranged; wealth and status, rather than feelings, decided the matches.

In a patriarchal system, wives were tasked with running the household and bearing heirs, while among well-off men it became common practice to keep a mistress.

This demand created a huge market for prostitutes, and adult jobs became a lucrative “career path” that even promised social ascent for many.

The world of luxury brothels and refined courtesans

The era’s brothels were far from seedy dens operating in dark alleys. Many were furnished with lavish furniture, ornate interiors and elegant salons.

The courtesans working in them were not street prostitutes. They learned decorous behaviour, educated themselves in the arts, played instruments, quoted poetry, and their attire followed the fashions of aristocratic women.

All this served a single purpose: to attract the attention of a wealthy patron and become an official mistress.

The promise of a gilded cage: life among the upper circles

Those who managed to become a wealthy man’s kept woman could live a fabulous life for a time. Their “package” included their own apartment, regular allowances, expensive clothes and jewellery - much like the sugar baby lifestyle today.

The greatest privilege, however, was that they could enter the world of the aristocracy: they became guests in salons, attended balls and appeared at social events.

Among the era’s most famous courtesans were Emma Hamilton, Rosalie Duthé and Kitty Fisher, while the pinnacle was Countess du Barry, the mistress of King Louis XV.

Many became models for painters, and their portraits further increased their fame - they paraded along the promenades like true celebrities of their time.

18th-century-style celebrities

The courtesans consciously built their own “brand”. Striking appearances, public engagements and works of art all helped them project wealth and influence.

In some exceptional cases, their lovers even married them, which meant an almost unprecedented social rise for a former prostitute.

Most of them, however, enjoyed this status only for a while.

Adult work by force or by choice?

Although this lifestyle looked luxurious from the outside, courtesans actually operated in a social grey area. They did not become accepted members of the upper classes; rather, they were entertaining accessories.

The years of luxury often obscured the risks. As soon as a patron tired of them, they often ended up back in the brothels - or in an even worse situation.

Behind the luxury there was always vulnerability.

Many ended up on the streets, where disease, poverty and addiction awaited them. This motivated the more famous courtesans to maintain their notoriety by any means they could.

A mirror to society’s dark side

Despite all the risks, masses of women and young girls chose prostitution. Owing to the economic conditions of the time, the lack of employment opportunities for women and the limits on social mobility, for many it seemed the only way out of poverty.

The courtesan world of the 18th century was thus at once a luxurious adult job and a brutal survival strategy.

A closing thought from the RED-LIFE team

The age of courtesans reminds us that sex work has never existed in a vacuum. It has always moved in step with social expectations, economic opportunities and individual survival strategies. Even then, behind the surface lay decisions, adaptation and often forced compromises.

Looking back at these stories makes it easier to recognise the parallels with the present. Although today there is more information, greater visibility and safer frameworks, the fundamental questions have not disappeared: who is in control, at what price, and how long can a given decision be sustained in the long term?

The real value today lies in the fact that these questions can be discussed openly. Honest stories and the sharing of experiences can help ensure the adult job is not a matter of drifting or coercion, but a consciously considered, responsibly undertaken path - along each person’s own boundaries and goals.