Edouard Manets Bar at the Folies Bergere
Edouard Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergere was completed in 1882. This was to be the last major work Manet would complete before his death. The painting was intended for the Salon, and because of his recently awarded Legion of Honor, Manet could be sure this piece would be accepted. This painting would be considered from the impressionistic style.
That Manet’s Bar is a masterpiece can hardly be argued, but the intent of the piece however is the source of much debate. The following evidence will show that this is a null point; it will show that the artist in fact did not intend to provoke any emotion or thought besides aesthetic emotion. Manet has taken something he found to be worthy of portraying, and slightly romanticized it into merely a involved painting which is pleasing to the eye (Roskill 231). After this was exhibited at the Salon, and Manet was disappointed with the public, who saw the subject rather than his masterly rendition (Rewald 366). To be disappointed that people were seeing the subject of his painting and projecting meaning upon it, not only focusing how well the painting was fashioned, seems to show in itself that the painting did not have the meaning some try to ascribe to it. Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergere is just a pretty picture that is not dealing with issues of sexuality, but tries to appeal to the public by imitating the style of advertisements and posters, and was an attempt to make a piece of art merely to be sold.
The barmaid, generally considered the focal point of the piece, is often thought to be a prostitute. Some believe Manet could have been using her slightly detached gaze to show a specific feeling towards these actions or any of countless theories on the subject. Suzon, the barmaid, was in fact not a prostitute in any way. This woman actually did serve drinks at the Folies Bergere, and this serving of drinks was her livelihood. Manet asked her to sit in his studio to model for the painting, and when she consented it was only on the condition that her boyfriend be allowed accompany her (Iskin 25). To model for a painting is not something a prostitute would have had any problem with, especially in that day. For Suzon to insist on her boyfriend accompanying her shows how absurd the assumption is that she was a prostitute. This should show her good intent...
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...ic a great work, and something that would be for the masses. This was not some commentary on prostitution or sexuality. Through the X-ray evidence it can be clearly seen that Manet did not have a specific intent. It is evident that this painting was merely meant to show Manet’s mastery of the medium and produce something that would appeal to the masses. The painting overall was produced to be sold, because this is what was the most necessary to Manet at the time.
Bibliography:
de Duve, Thierry. “How Manet’s A Bar At The Folies-Bergere Is Constructed” Critical Inquiry. Autumn 1998. p136+.
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Hagen, Rose-Marie and Ranier. “What Great Paintings Say.” NY: Taschen, 2000.
Iskin, Ruth E. “Selling, seduction, and soliciting the eye: Manet’s ‘Bar at the Folies-Bergere’.” The Art Bulletin. March 1995 v77 p25-44.
Mathey, Francois. The Impressionists. New York: Fredrick A. Praeger, 1967.
Roskill, Mark. Van Gough, Gauguin and the Impressionist Circle. Grenwich CT: New York Geographic Society, 1970.
Rewald, John. The History of Impressionism. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1946.
The painting “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère” is detail oriented and depicts unpopular topics. Examples of the details are green shoes dangling, a lady using binoculars in the reflection of the mirror, and the colors on the lady’s cheeks. Manet’s uses oranges to represent prostitution, and to others this is an unpleasant topic. The painting is relevant today in that people want details on where all of their hard earn money has gone. Why are people losing their homes, and if the market is lousy, why is it only lousy for the lower and middle class?
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Morisot, Berthe. A Woman at Her Toilette. 1875-1880. Oil on Canvas. The Art Institute of Chicago, Illnois.
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9. Bouguereau, William A. Psyche et L'Amour. 1889. Private Collection. Art In the Picture. 2014. 25 Jan. 2014 .
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Beecroft, Rachel H. "Armenian Genocide." World Without Genocide. William Mitchell College of Law, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .
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O’Donnell, Sr., Joseph J.. “Art and the French Revolution”. The Eerie Digest, May 2013. Web. 5th May 2013.
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