Star Burlesque

The star, dancing before grim figures in the audience, has the classical proportions of a Greek or Renaissance sculpture, yet her spangled G-string transforms what might otherwise have been a nude into a naked woman. Marsh’s subjects embody a revolt against Victorian prudery, as they trade delicate draped garments for showy ruffles. In depicting these working-class entertainments, Marsh revealed the blatant sexuality of the new American society.