A Bar at the Folies-Bergére

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere
A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, Edouard Manet, 1882
BY JENNY ZHU

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere is considered Manet's last major work. This painting represents one of the most prominent music halls in Paris at the time. We see through the mirror behind the barmaid that the guests (aka the wealthy white people) are enjoying their time, but the expression of the barmaid tells another story. The painting used the mirror to draw a separation between the bourgeoises with the working class, creating an unsettling composition. As prosperous as the place might seem, the music halls were a common place for elites to pick up prostitutes which spark the question of the barmaid's true occupation. She does not have much expression. In fact, she looks very much dead inside to me. Is she worrying what the rest of the night will be like? If you look closely at her reflection in the mirror, you can see that she is talking to a man. What is he there for? Is he there for some unspeakable business trade with this poor barmaid? Or is he only an innocent guest here a drink and a good time?

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere speaks to me as a frustration of separations between social classes and social injustices.  The mirror is almost like a line between reality and a dream. The barmaid is in a hellhole of reality while the others living beyond the mirror are in fancy attire.
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Olympia

Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet, Olympia, 1863
By NAYOUNG KWON

Chapter Five of Richard R. Brettell's book of Modern Art talks about the theme of sexuality and the body within paintings. He suggests that paintings that consist of nude figures try to engage and challenge the viewers of thinking deeper about the representation of a human body and the behaviors behind it. Since "female" nudes were considered to be scandalous during the time period, critiques judged harshly and were considered "dirty," and  improper subject for viewing. However, as Brettell suggests, Manet treats the nude fairly flat and suppressed the illusionism within the painting above. Olympia, the most question raising painting that Manet have ever creted gained many attractions, and had popular view ratings by men. With the bold shameless pose and gaze, and the acceptance of her body grasped the attention of many has left the viewers feel vulnerable.

Manet's painting of Olympia was inspired by couple of artists such as Giorgione's Sleeping Venus, and Titian's Venus of Urbino. With the composition of a frieze and diagonal line coming from the top of Olympia's head which leads down to Olympia's foot shows the delicateness of the figure. Using the toned down cool colors, the painting gives not only calm vibes, but also the feeling of stiffness. Porcelain-like skin of Olympia gives of the youth and the innocent feel in the painting.
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Portrait of Emile Zola

Edouard Manet
Portrait of Emile Zola,  Édouard Manet, 1868
BY REMY JACOBS

In chapter two of Richard Brettell's Modern Art 1851-1929, the author examines art museums, lithography, and photography. He specifically addresses how the artists adapted to the change. 

In the middle of the chapter, art museums are becoming more popular. In the beginning, art museums were built for political reasons, rather than aesthetic ones.  If a country has several art museums it gave them a sense of political and national power. In addition, the museums brought a steady flow of revenue. Museums also gave artists a chance to showcase their art. People of the royal status often had museums in their homes, making them look like they where the best there is. 

Towards the end of the chapter, photography becomes prevalent and takes the art world by storm. People started to prefer photographs over paintings because it's cheaper, faster, and it was different. In 1888, the Kodak camera was invented, and you could take a picture with the click of a button. As time went on, people stopped caring about paintings. With that being said, in the modern world, most people see reproductions of art rather than the original. 

Édouard Manet is regarded as being one of the founders of modernism. Emile Zola was a French novelist, playwright, and journalist. Manet met Zola through landscape artist, Antoine Guillemet, in February of 1866. Manet painted this portrait of Zola to show thanks for the support. About two years later it was showcased at the 1868 Salon.  With all that being said, this painting reminded me of when we read Walter Benjamin's "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction."
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A Man Walks into a Bar: A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere
Edouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882

A Man Walks Into a Bar...
By ELLIE SCHNEIDER

No, this is not where I drop a cheesy pickup line or play the Tyler Farr hit. “A man walks into a bar” has been the tagline for jokes for years, but the sentence digs deeper. Bars have been gathering places for men for hundreds of years. Bars in colonial America acted as meeting places for political groups. Today, bars act as places to watch sporting events, socialize, and have fun. On the other side though, bars have also acted as places to drown ones sorrows because people equate alcohol with escaping reality. In my collection, “A Man Walks into a Bar…” I want to show the use of bars as a place to socialize and a place to cope, and the importance of bartenders in that setting.

The father of Impressionism is first on our bar (painting) hopping journey. Why? Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergere is the original bar painting. The painting shows the Father of Impressionism commitment to realism with his intricate attention to detail.

At first, your eyes go to the bartender who is waiting to take your order, but then you notice all of the little details Manet included. Manet once said, “You would hardly believe how difficult it is to place a figure alone on a canvas, and to concentrate all the interest on this single and universal figure and still keep it living and real.” Manet struggles with this idea because there are so many other parts to the painting, that the viewer loses focus on the bartender. Not only are there bottles and other objects, but when the viewer looks in the mirror, they find a crowd of people. You sense the movement of the people, but at the same time, the bartender appears frozen.

The reflection of the mirror on the wall adds depth to the painting, while also bringing a festive attitude of the fête going on. The bartender was actually a real woman named Suzon, who worked at the famous nightclub in Paris in the 1880s. She actually posed for him in his studio. Still, one cannot help but create a new story for the bartender. She is pretty; she has a natural beauty to her. She is working as a bartender, serving others, but hopes for more. She is youthful, just like the people on the dance floor. Still, she appears lonely, even though the bar is full. She wants to be on the other side of the bar, dancing with the other people. She would probably like to have a drink herself, but she follows the rules and refrains from joining in on the fun.

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere is the classic bar painting, not only because it is one of the earliest representations of a bar, but also because it evokes the many emotions in a bar such as the loneliness of the bartender, the excitement of the dancing people, and commotion of city life in Paris during the 1880s.
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The Balcony

Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet, The Balcony,  1868

BY MADELINE VASQUEZ

Art is more than just the concept of representation, but how the artist sees the world through what they are painting. Visuality defines the meaning of what is inspired through the eye of the beholder. When there is a greater understanding of what the artist is trying to convey through object, light, and structure, people can have a greater appreciation for what they are observing. Richard Brettell accurately describes how the human eye is based on psychological and emotional state of mind.

Edouard Manet, a French artist, clearly displays through his art how “representing is to have ultimate control of the seen world” (Brettell 84). In Manet’s, The Balcony, visual representation through eye contact of each individual person reflects on the “Art of Seeing.”When looking at the painting, we see three figures with one dark figure in the background. There are three different focal points when looking head on at the painting. The woman sitting is gazing at the world-in-the-streets, the women in the flower hat is looking at the viewer, and the man is admiring the woman in the flower hat. The interesting thing about it: when it was hung in the Salon in 1868, it appeared as if it was an actual balcony hanging from the wall and the people viewing it appeared to be the people in the street. The different focal points helps tell a story through eye contact. Bretell defines this as “contemporary urban visual culture” (86). Brettell shows how “the viewer is just as important as the viewed, that seeing or perception is now the subject of the art” (87).
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Dead Christ and His Angels

Dead Christ and His Angels
Édouard Manet, Dead Christ and His Angels, 1864

By LILI TUCKER

It seems we have come full circle.

On Thursday September 25, 2014 I wrote my very first blog post on Manet's Dead Christ and His Angels. Lately, I've been feeling awfully sentimental and think it fitting to revisit this painting in my final year of High School Art History.

In my first blog post on this painting I spoke a lot about the history and technical aspects of it, but it was Manet's representation of Christ as "vulnerable, unheroic and overall...well, human" that rubbed me, and many of the critics at that time, the wrong way. Looking back on this painting, I no longer see why that's such a horrible thing--to be human. And, above all, to show that you are human. What Manet does, throughout his entire career, is allow the viewer to see things we often feel shouldn't be seen. Even his still-lifes have a realism that demands to be coveted. A spotlight on discarded apples and lemons draped in mystique. As I learn more and more about "the adult world" this year I have begun to feel as if I'm looking in on something I shouldn't. As if I'm being led through the back door to a soundstage for a show I thought I knew everything about--shown all the wires and inner workings, the camera crew and fake blood.  Like Manet's Dead Christ with Angels, glimpsing into the reality of adulthood seems all too wrong, and a little too real.

Two years ago I walked into Mr. Luce's class a complete Art History virgin. We were tasked with picking a painting off the looming south wall of the room, a daunting task indeed.  In my blog post, I remarked on being shocked that I didn't pick a Liechtenstein, a Magritte or painting of a naked lady. and instead I picked this painting, "stunned at my own self conscious." To this day I still haven't done a Liechtenstein or a Magritte, and the paintings I choose to write about still surprise me. In end, I've found it's not about choosing a painting you adore. It's about choosing a painting that will open a door.
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Dead Christ and His Angels

Dead Christ and His Angels

Édouard Manet, The Dead Christ and the Angels, 1864

My god what a mess.

The first of Manet’s only two religious paintings, The Dead Christ and the Angels was perhaps one of the most controversial of his body of work. Displayed in 1864, during the era of Realism, Neoclassicism and the new emergence of Impressionism, Manet’s The Dead Christ and the Angels represents both the passion of Impressionism and the tone of Neoclassicism.

Unlike the idealistic paintings of the time, Christ’s infamous cross-bearing posture has been diminished to a withered, powerless and overall just plain awkward slumping state. Reclining with his hands flopped to his sides, legs spread unceremoniously apart, and the look of just plain futility and angst, this version of the great and powerful Jesus Christ does not bode well for the countless devotees of our Lord and Savior. Manet’s representation of Christ depicts him as vulnerable, unheroic and overall... well, human. Additionally, the two angels behind him look too much like peasant women with huge elegant wings strapped onto their backs. A scene most certainly not worthy of worship.

Oh but wait - there’s more.

Known as the “bridge between realism and impressionism,” Manet’s ability to find the right balance became quite difficult, especially in this painting. It was almost as if Manet’s Neoclassicism side said “let’s paint a religious painting, and make it realistic,” and his young, enthusiastic Impressionistic side went on hyperdrive and went a bit too far with the realism. The lighting of the painting is dour by standards of both Impressionistic and Realistic paintings of the time. A soft light focuses only on Christ and the angel on the right. The shadows, paired with the mournful blacks, browns and whites, really highlight the bruises and transparency of Christ’s corpse. The Angel, positioned slightly behind Christ, holds him up as if he wasn’t strong enough to do so himself. Critics of the Salon felt the painting lacked any sort of “holiness and spirituality,” and, in general, Christ looked just “too dead” for their tastes. Although, Manet did include a thin halo, one of the only details to suggest any sort of divinity. Of course, this wasn’t the only mistake made by Monsieur Manet.

On a rock in the the lower right side of the painting, there is a small inscription that reads “Gospel according to Saint John, Chapter 20, Verse 12.” In that particular passage, Mary Magdalene has found Jesus’ tomb empty except for the two angels. In the painting, however, the two angels are with Christ instead of in his tomb waiting to greet Mary Magdalene. Furthermore, while on its way to the 1864 Salon Exhibition, Manet realizes that he had painted the wound on the right side, instead of the left. Frantically, he contacts Baudelaire confessing his inaccuracy. Baudelaire instructs him to fix his mistake so as to not “ give the malicious something to laugh at.” Unfortunately, Manet stubbornly kept the wound on the right and the critics, indubitably, had a field day.

When asked to pick a single painting off a wall almost 30 times my size, I chose this one. Not the Lichtenstein, not any of the Magrittes, nor the numerous paintings of naked ladies. I chose this one. When I looked at the title and the man who painted it, I was somewhat stunned at my own subconscious. I am not religious, nor am I a huge fan of Impressionism, especially Manet...but I’d follow this painting to hell and back if I had to. Manet’s jab at both religion and realism, and the softness and beauty created by the curved lines and muted color palette serves as a good reminder for me of how gloriously amusing and stunning art can be.

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La Rue Mosnier aux Drapeaux

Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet, La Rue Mosnier aux Drapeaux,  1878

While searching the cluttered wall of Mr. Luce’s room, a certain painting caught my eye. The painting, primarily light colors, had blues and reds that almost forced you to pay attention to it. I did not believe this was any exceptional painting so I kept looking. However, the only painting that my eyes were drawn to was this one.

Edouard Manet’s painting, La Rue Mosnier aux Drapeaux, was painted in 1878 in Paris, France during the Fête de la Paix. The Fête de la Paix is a holiday to commemorate the recovery from The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Manet painted the celebration from his apartment on Rue Mosnier. The crippled man on the left side reflects Manet's view against the war. This man, a war veteran, is crippled from his time serving to protect his country. The man looks down wistfully. Avoiding the flags and the celebration, the crippled man knows no one should glorify this war. At first, I did not realize this man only had one leg. A splotch covered this man’s lower half on The Wall. After seeing the full painting, I know Manet used this man to show his disapproval of war.

The family getting out of their carriage on the right side goes on to the celebration without noticing the man. They go on with their fancy lives and only care about themselves. The streetlights are bright and act as a spotlight for the rich family. The family is a symbol for the negligence during the war, from civilians and from the government.
Edouard Manet’s La Rue Mosnier aux Drapeaux shows two conflicting views of the war, the people who are against the war and the people who are too ignorant to pay attention.

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This Girl is On Fire: Olympia

1863
This Girl is on Fire
Woman as Goddess
Curated by Emma Krasnopoler

Edouard Manet, Olympia, 1863

Olympia, inspired by Titian’s Venus of Urbino, confronts viewers in a blatantly sexual repose. Her blank stare and exposed flesh is unsettling, rather than arousing. There is something lifeless and distant about her, not even close to the virginal, doe-eyed look that women were supposed to have. This woman, unmistakably a prostitute, defies the standard image of women: innocent, feminine, weak. She is, rather, fierce, independent, hardened – a modern woman in a vintage pose.

I say “modern” for two main reasons. The first is her physical appearance. Unlike her “Venus” counterpart, Olympia is just like any girl. She is thinner than most women of the time, which was thought to be unattractive and unhealthy. Her skin does not glow like that of a goddess, and her hair is modestly pulled back. She has had to work to survive, and the hardships of her life are not hidden from viewers. While many people found the painting repulsive and shocking at its first reception, the most shocking thing about Olympia is how human she is. She is not venerated, nor idealized; Olympia is ordinary. However, despite her lack of godliness, she still commands attention in a way that is unheard of for women. She is naked, but not vulnerable. Exposed, but in control. Olympia is a woman that everyone knows. Whether you like her or not, she commands respect. She is real, she is resolute, and she is not going anywhere.

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Jesus Mocked by Soldiers

Edouard Manet
Jesus Mocked by Soldiers, Edouard Manet, 1865


The hanging of Olympia in the 1863 Paris Salon and its surrounding controversy has become one of the most famous incidents in all of art history and is considered by many to be a foundational moment for later avant-garde movements such as Impressionism, which sought to break the mold of artistic expression at their time. However, many forget the painting, almost equally reviled in its time, which hung next to the famous courtesan. Jesus Moqué par les Soldats, or Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers, was painted around the same time as Olympia. Manet also won its entry to the 1865 Salon, and it hung next to Olympia around eye level in room. During the exhibition, people struggled to crowd like sardines into the chamber to get a glimpse at the two paintings. They were the laughing stock of Paris. The situation grew so bad that the Salon’s directors, partially out of pity for Manet and partially out of a desire to get people to look at the rest of the artwork, moved the two paintings to an inconspicuous position high above a doorway where they could do no more harm.

The painting itself is not quite the masterpiece that Olympia was, but it stands alone as a nice early work. Jesus sits plaintively on a chair, surrounded by the cruel soldiers of the Empire. He stares upward. Manet draws his body rather unusually. Jesus is often depicted in pain, of course, but he is generally shown to be a physically strong, robust man. Here, he seems small. It seems as though the soldiers have won. Manet’s painting generated quite a bit of controversy for depicting Jesus as completely human. His typically minimalist style shines through here, and in a way similar to Olympia he makes the men seem grimy. There’s not a lot of hope in this painting. I think that’s why it created such a stir. Jesus doesn’t seem like the usual beacon of hope and dignity. He kind of seems like he’s already dead.

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A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. 1882.

Edouard Manet completed A Bar at the Folies-Bergère during the last two years of his life in 1882. The subject of the painting, the bar, is depicted through a reflection behind the barmaid. This incredibly modern approach creates much mystery and ambiguity that its meaning is still debated among art historians. The big question lies in the inconsistency between reality and reflection. From the way the barmaid’s eyes meet the viewer’s gaze, the viewer should be standing directly facing her, yet the reflection of her and the male customer seems to suggest the viewer’s position is much more to the left. In fact, in Manet’s preparatory sketch of the painting, the reflection adheres more to reality. Manet changed the work substantially from the sketch; was he trying to convey something entirely different through the placement of the mirrored figures? 

Edouard Manet. Oil Sketch for A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. 1881-82.
One argument could be made that the mirrored image is an alternate reality. The barmaid dresses in the standard attire with the revealing neckline that the job requires. In the late 19th century, rapid modernization in Paris led to massive development of the entertainment industry, played out in various bars and nightclubs. The barmaid’s face reveals a profound sadness and blankness as she is trapped in her job and in life; she is exposed, distanced and vulnerable. On the contrary, her reflection indicates the way she is supposed to act, leaning in, intimate and responsive to her male customers.  Therefore the mirrored image contains more than physical but the psychological reflection of the barmaid’s world. In the alternative world, she stands back, meditating on the events that led her to this clearly miserable job. We as viewers are drawn to the sensual, as well as emotional aspect of the painting, wanting to help her escape from reality. Manet conveys his sympathy for the unnamed barmaid, suggesting that women like her are the victims of the bar culture. 

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The Spanish Singer

Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet, The Spanish Singer, 1860

 The Spanish Singer was Manet’s first widely accepted work. Exhibited in the Salon in 1861, it represented a major step forward for Manet, who would until his untimely death at the hands of syphilis and/or gangrene, remain obsessed with the Salon. For a man who lived to push the boundaries of what was acceptable to depict as art, he was quite obsessed with obtaining pats on the back from the establishment. This painting, however, had little of the incendiary potential exhibited by his later, more famous works such as Déjeuner sur l’Herbe or Olympia. Instead of putting naked ladies in revolutionary new places like fields or couches, this painting depicted only a heavily-inebriated young Spanish crooner strumming on his guitar. When he paints this, Manet is only 27 or 28. Although some of his distinctive style makes itself visible in this painting—his heavy use of black is quite exaggerated here—his sketch-like painting style and heavy use of black outline have yet to reach maturity in this early work. However, a hint of the playful subversion in which Manet so loved to engage appears here—the discarded butt of some sort of smoking material and open wine jug lie on the floor in front of him to show us that this young singer has been enjoying himself as he cranks out music for the children to dance to. 

His crappy shoes and ragged shirt belie his less-than-ideal social status. His guitar, on the other hand, is top notch. This painting also reveals the heavy influence of Velasquez that weighed on Manet’s distinctive style early in his career after his visit to Spain. The way Manet forms his lines and particularly the way he draws the singer’s face obviously shows good old Diego’s influence on young Edouard. 

I don’t think this painting is by any means a masterpiece. However, it is a good early example of Manet’s technical mastery of painting, and it helps to show why Manet was the first artist to successfully break the mold in the stuffy aristocratic art world of the mid-19th century.

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