Description: Now one of Forain’s most famous works, it appears that The Client was largely ignored when it was first shown at the Impressionist exhibition of 1880. Among the reviewers, only Huysmans, a friend and strong supporter of the artist, discussed it at any length, saying: “What is phenomenal about this work is the powerful reality emanating from it...The entire philosophy of love for hire is in this scene where, after having voluntarily entered, pushed by a bestial desire, the man reflects and, his attitude becoming colder, ends up being uninterested by the offers.”
Provenance: Museum purchase with funds provided by Brenda and Lester Crain, Hyde Family Foundations, Irene and Joe Orgill and the Rose Family Foundation