Explore The Mastery Behind Painting The Folies-Bergère Bar

Édouard Manet's 'A Bar at the Folies-Bergère' is a celebrated work, considered to be the French artist's last major painting before his death. Completed in 1882, the oil painting depicts a barmaid standing in front of a mirror in the Folies Bergère nightclub in Paris. The painting is rich in detail, with a complex composition that has puzzled critics and inspired numerous articles. The central figure, a barmaid named Suzon, is positioned in front of a mirror, reflecting a male figure and creating a disorienting effect. The inclusion of a dish of oranges in the foreground has been interpreted as identifying the barmaid as a prostitute. The painting's impact extended beyond the art world, influencing ballet, film, music, and literature.

The use of mirrors

Édouard Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergère" is a celebrated work, considered to be his last major painting, completed in 1882, a year before his death. The painting depicts a barmaid standing in front of a mirror, with a dish of oranges in the foreground, identifying her as a prostitute according to art historian Larry L. Ligo. The use of mirrors in this painting has been a subject of debate and interpretation, with critics accusing Manet of ignorance of perspective and impossibilities in the painting.

The central figure in the painting, the barmaid, is positioned before a mirror, creating a complex web of viewpoints. Manet shifts the reflection of the barmaid to the right, along with the bottles on the left, emphasising the disorienting atmosphere of the bustling Folies-Bergère. This play of reflections invites the viewer to stand opposite the barmaid, seeing exactly what she sees in the mirror. The mirror itself has been interpreted as a symbol of misconception and ambiguity, alluding to the illusionary nature of the painting.

The presence of the mirror has been compared to Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez, an artist admired by Manet. The intentional play on perspective and the violation of the operations of mirrors create a sense of illusion, suggesting that there is more to the painting than meets the eye. The mirror reflects a shadowy male figure, observing the barmaid, who gazes out of the frame. This has been interpreted as a commentary on the male gaze and the power dynamics between the male artist and the female model.

Social class and milieu

Édouard Manet's painting, 'A Bar at the Folies-Bergère', offers a rich tapestry of social class and milieu, reflecting the vibrant and diverse nature of Parisian life in the late 19th century. Completed in 1882, the painting captures the essence of the Folies-Bergère nightclub, one of the most popular music halls and entertainment venues in Paris at the time.

The central figure in the painting is a barmaid, a real person named Suzon, who worked at the Folies-Bergère. By positioning her in the centre, Manet draws attention to her role as both a salesperson and a commodity, reflecting the reality of the time where barmaids were often associated with prostitution. This association is further emphasised by the inclusion of a dish of oranges in the foreground, which, according to art historian Larry L. Ligo, was a trope used by Manet to signify prostitution.

The background of the painting provides a glimpse into the social milieu of the era. The fashionable crowd mingling on the balcony, entertained by musical and circus acts, including a trapeze artist in green boots, adds a sense of excitement and glamour. The electric lighting, still a novelty at the time, is also given prominence by Manet, reflecting the modern amenities of the Folies-Bergère.

The painting also invites a discussion about the power dynamics between social classes, particularly the male gaze and the relationship between the male artist, female model, and the viewer. The barmaid is shown gazing out of the frame, observed by a shadowy male figure, creating a complex web of viewpoints and perspectives. This interplay between the foreground and the reflection in the mirror highlights the disorienting atmosphere of the bustling nightclub, inviting the viewer to question their own role as an onlooker.

Manet's use of careful precision in the foreground details and a hazy, shimmering background reflects the social milieu of the time. The foreground, with its enticing array of drinks and the barmaid, represents the commercial and transactional nature of the establishment, while the hazy background suggests the glamorous and exciting world of entertainment that patrons were stepping into.

The male gaze

Édouard Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergère" is a painting rich in detail and social commentary, with a particular focus on the male gaze. The painting depicts a barmaid, known as Suzon, who worked at the Folies-Bergère nightclub in Paris in the early 1880s. Manet posed Suzon in his studio, and she is the still centre of the painting. Her enigmatic expression is unsettling, especially as she appears to be interacting with a male customer, whose reflection is seen in the mirror behind the bar.

The inclusion of a dish of oranges in the foreground is significant. Art historian Larry L. Ligo interprets this as identifying the barmaid as a prostitute, as Manet often associated oranges with prostitution in his paintings. T. J. Clark supports this interpretation, suggesting that the barmaid represents one of the prostitutes for which the Folies-Bergère was well-known, portrayed as both a salesperson and a commodity. This interpretation adds another layer to the male gaze in the painting, suggesting that the male customer in the mirror, and by extension, the viewer, is viewing the barmaid as a commodity to be purchased.

The play of reflections in the painting adds to the disorienting atmosphere. Manet shifts the reflection of the male customer to the right, emphasising the bustling and lively nature of the nightclub. This departure from traditional perspective further contributes to the complexity of the composition and the multiple viewpoints presented.

"A Bar at the Folies-Bergère" has been referenced and reinterpreted in various forms, including ballet, film, and photography. These interpretations often engage with the theme of the male gaze, offering new perspectives and updates to the original painting's themes.

The role of the observer

Édouard Manet's painting, 'A Bar at the Folies-Bergère', is a rich and detailed work that invites the observer to step into a bustling Parisian nightclub of the 1880s. The observer is drawn into the painting through a complex interplay of perspectives and reflections, creating a sense of being immersed in the lively atmosphere of the Folies-Bergère.

The observer's role in this painting is multi-faceted and intriguing. At first glance, one might assume that the central figure in the painting, standing before a mirror, is the main focus. However, upon closer inspection, it is revealed that this figure is actually a reflection, shifting the observer's attention to the right, where a shadowy male figure stands outside the painter's field of vision, looking away from the barmaid. This optical trick challenges the traditional central point of view, positioning the observer in a unique and unexpected perspective.

The observer becomes a participant in the scene, witnessing an interaction between the barmaid and a male customer from a discreet distance. The barmaid, Suzon, a real person who worked at the Folies-Bergère, holds an enigmatic expression, adding a layer of intrigue to the observation. The observer is drawn into this moment, left to wonder about the nature of the exchange between Suzon and the man, and their seemingly disconnected gazes.

Manet's use of reflections and shifts in perspective invite the observer to explore the painting intimately, noticing details such as the misaligned bottles on the left and the reflection of a trapeze artist's green feet in the upper left-hand corner. These details provide clues about social class and milieu, with the barmaid's dish of oranges suggesting, according to art historian Larry L. Ligo, that she is a prostitute. The observer is encouraged to interpret these subtle cues, constructing a narrative around the characters within the painting.

Through its complex composition, 'A Bar at the Folies-Bergère' engages the observer in a dynamic way, offering a glimpse into a captivating moment in time. The observer becomes a detective of sorts, piecing together the story unfolding before them and reflecting on the power dynamics between the male artist, female model, and the viewer's role as an onlooker.

The impact of photography

The invention of photography in the 19th century had a profound and complex impact on painting. For the first time, artists could capture a moment in time with complete accuracy, freeing painters from the tedious task of extended sittings with models and allowing them to focus on new techniques and artistic expression.

Photography's ability to record a 'moment of truth' encouraged painters to explore different ways of representing what they saw. Artists like Monet felt liberated to experiment with light, colour, and movement in ways that were not possible with photography. This initially led to Impressionist works being criticised as 'sketchy' or 'unfinished', but over time, these subjective observations became accepted as legitimate art forms.

The invention of the daguerreotype in 1839, a process that imprinted images onto silver-coated copper plates, was a pivotal moment. This new technology allowed photographers to record landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, which had previously been the preserve of painters. The introduction of the carte de visite in the 1850s further popularised photography, as these small prints could be cheaply and easily distributed. As a result, some artists lost commissions for intricate portraits as people opted for studio photographs instead.

However, photography also inspired artists to experiment with new techniques and compositional approaches. Edgar Degas, for example, was intrigued by Eadweard Muybridge's photographs of horses in motion, which revealed that a horse's feet leave the ground in a rolling sequence, not in pairs as artists had traditionally depicted. Degas adopted the technique of cropping, selecting only part of a subject for his paintings, creating a more intimate connection with the viewer.

The advent of photography also sparked a broader democratisation of art and image, with some embracing the increased accessibility of art, while others criticised photography as banal and purely imitative of reality. Despite this, photography's influence on painting was profound, and it played a significant role in shaping the trajectory of art in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the rise of movements such as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Geometric Abstraction.

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