Image source: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). View source
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
- Artist
- Édouard Manet (1832–1883)
- Date
- 1882
- Dimensions
- 96 x 130 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Courtauld Gallery, London, United Kingdom
This painting shows a young barmaid standing behind a marble counter at the Folies-Bergère, a famous Paris music hall. Bottles of champagne, beer and liqueur, a bowl of oranges and a vase of flowers stand before her, and behind her a large mirror reflects the crowded, glittering hall.
A closer look
The barmaid looks out at us with a tired, absent expression, while in the mirror we see her back, leaning towards a man in a top hat. The reflection does not match the scene logically: it is shifted to the right, as if seen from another angle, creating a puzzle that has fascinated viewers ever since. The mirror shows the audience, chandeliers, and even the green-booted legs of a trapeze artist at the top left. The picture captures the glamour and the loneliness of modern city life. It was Manet's last major painting, made while he was seriously ill.
More by Édouard Manet
In this gallery
Famous works elsewhere
- The Balcony 1868
- The Railway 1873