Puta Pantheon: transatlantic graphic memorial of notable whores through the centuries

Abstract

The purpose of this series of drawings is to celebrate the memory of powerful and influential women who were once perceived as whores for their sexual conduct. Some did so of their own free will and defended the dignity of this practice, others did so under brutal violence and did everything they could to free themselves from a humiliating condition. Regardless of the moral evaluation we have of this aspect of their lives, they all left an indelible mark on history. By celebrating the memory of their whores, I hope to contribute to the destigmatization of these women and others that readers will certainly be able to add to this gallery. Often the stigma of prostituted women and ignorance about their real experience causes more harm than the eventual violations suffered while performing sex work. While sexist historiography sees them as a lost women, they have proven that a whore can become many things: movie actress, marchioness, queen, interpreter, military strategist, vice president, philanthropist, saint or simply a whore, with great pride and no hypocrisy.