Here we will learn more about Manet and explore the varied elements that make up this monumental painting.
Who was Edouard Manet?
He renders the main figures, objects, and interior withexpressive brushstrokesand close attention to thedetails.
“A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” Édouard Manet, 1882 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Each bottle of alcohol on the counter, for example, is presented with its distinct label and packaging.
So, as the viewer, we are placed in the position of the man talking to her.
Today, art historians have different theories as to why the perspective in the painting appears skewed.
Close-up photograph of artist Édouard Manet, enlargement by Paul Nadar of his father’s original, before 1870 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Complex in its composition, it captures more than just one moment inside the Folies-Bergere.
“The Luncheon on the Grass” (“Le déjeuner sur l’herbe”), 1863 (Photo viaGoogle Art Project, Public Domain)
“Olympia,” 1863 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Detail of “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” Édouard Manet, 1882 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Art Nouveauposter for the Folies-Bergère ballet pantomime “Fleur de Lotus,” Jules Chéret, 1893 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Detail of “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” Édouard Manet, 1882 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Detail of “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” Édouard Manet, 1882 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
Detail of “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” Édouard Manet, 1882 (Photo viaWikimedia Commons, Public Domain)
