Introduction
Edouard Manet’s “Bar at the Folies-Bergère” painting is a prime example of the first wave of realism/impressionism of the nineteenth century. The work of the French artist appeared in 1882, which was characterized by the junction between the mentioned eras of art (Manet, 1882). The picture under study depicts a young girl who works at the bar in the well-known cabaret/dance hall The Folies-Bergère at that time. An incredibly realistic painting shows the real life of Parisian society at that time and transports the viewer into the events depicted by the artist.
Painting Analysis
I believe that this painting can be considered as an example of the beginning of Modern Art. First of all, as already noted, it is characterized by considerable realism, which was not quite common in the nineteenth century. Even though works close to realism already existed in Impressionism, “Bar at the Folies-Bergère” differs from them in such aspects as, for example, color.
Hence, the studied picture is dominated by muted colors, with a large number of gray tones. Compositionally, this work also has uniqueness since it is based on a girl and objects that stand around. It seems that the artist equates it with these formal elements, hinting that its value in this institution is equated with a bottle of champagne. The image of a man in the mirror behind her also facilitates this assumption.
Conclusion
The painting by Edouard Manet, “Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” is a revelation of its particular time and cultural context. This conclusion is facilitated by the fact that it corresponds to all the basic postulates of realism, which aim to depict life as it is. In addition, it masterfully represents the cultural context of the time in which the establishments described by the artist existed for the entertainment of representatives of the middle class and above.
Reference
Manet, E. (1882). A bar at the Folies-Bergère. Google Art & Culture. Web.