Manet and the Bar - Art History Paper

“The eye should forget all else it has seen... and the hand become...guided only by the will, oblivious of all previous training” (Howard 19). These words from the artist himself describe perfectly what art historians call the 'mature' period of Manet's approach to painting and design. Many theories exist as to why such a professionally-trained master could make what seem to be mistakes in perspective, proportion, and reflection in some of the works during this time. Evidence shows, however, that Manet did not use his masterful talents to simply capture the real world in paint. He may have sought instead to not only immortalize the setting of the time period, but add an early sense of humanism through the use of Howard calls 'artful errors' (p14). Perhaps his last great work, the Bar at the Folies-Bergère, demonstrates his approach magnificently.

At first glance, the painting looks to portray a young rosy-cheeked barmaid standing behind a lavishly stocked bar as if nonchalantly waiting for the viewer (as if the viewer were a potential customer) to order. Behind her is a mirror, which allows the viewer to see into the space 'behind' their position. The reflection in the mirror, the barmaid, and the bar itself describes this place as much more than a simple tavern or pub – this location looks very much like a high-class Parisian nightclub (Harris, Zucker). The distant patrons in the mirror, the reflected gentleman on the right with the top-hat, and even the barmaid herself are dressed in fancy apparel, demonstrating lavish wealth and class.

Right away, however, it is simple to notice 'mistakes' in the perspective of the reflection. If the back of the woman on the right side of painting is indeed the reflection of the barmaid, then it would seem the mirror should be angled. But as can be seen just behind the wrist of the barmaid, the plane of the mirror should indeed be perpendicular to the viewer. If the error is viewed as 'correct' in the context of the painting, them the reflected gentleman in the top hat could be the 'viewer' of the barmaid, if not entirely representative of the viewer of the painting itself.

 Why, then, the choice of the barmaid as the focal point of the painting? The barmaid's expression seems distant and tired, as though she's had a long day of serving other guests. Yet in the reflection, the interaction between the barmaid and the gentleman seems much closer and even intimate. With all of the other patrons in view through the mirror, the gallant spectacles of trapeze artists (upper-left corner) and crystal chandeliers, and the valuable wines and fruits, the eye is drawn to the barmaid herself and then to the darker forms of the barmaid and the gentleman in the mirror.

 One of the more popular theories is that the message portrayed in Bar at the Folies-Bergère is simply one of consumption and sexual favors, a description of the habits and even morality of the upper-class in Paris during Manet's life. Iskin states that, “seduction and selling are indeed at the center of this painting, though their object is not just the fashionable woman at the counter... To understand Manet's painting... we must extend the circumference of our interests from the immediate history of the cafe-concert, and the rhetoric of pleasure, leisure, and entertainment, to broader discourses of mass consumption” (p 25). And according to critic Henri Houssaye, even the barmaid herself is a simple product for purchase: “that this gaudy blue dress, topped by a cardboard head like those one used to see in milliners' shop windows, represents a woman” (p 27). The painting might simply be a reflection of the 'Moulin Rouge' morality of high French society. On the other hand, others see more in the  barmaid's face than simple ambivalence – Manet's use of thick brush strokes and very wet paint give a deep reflection and even sadness in her eyes (Harris, Zucker). And Manet's own history and style suggests it might be more.

The effects of wealth and class were not unknown to Edouard Manet. He himself was born to a “bourgeoisie household” in Paris, France in 1832 (Bio.), which was perhaps the golden age of French preference and authority on everything from cuisine and apparel to religion and art. Beneath the wealth and status, however, was the common man and woman, and Manet filled his canvases with “singers, street people, gypsies and beggars” (The Absinthe Drinker is a great example). His works bordered and often jumped up to the sensational, according to the sentiments of the time – his work Olympia, for example, showed not the nude form of a classical goddess but the confident pose of a prostitute waiting for her next client (Rabinow). As many Realist artists of the time captured light and color in paint, Manet took modern concepts and ideas and displayed them just as accurately and prominently, much to the shock and chagrin of the artistic and moral authorities of his day.

An artist inspiration to Manet was Fransisco José de Goya, a Spanish painter famous for his portrayal of the effects of Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Spain in his work, The Third of May 1808. Unlike any artwork before, The Third of May, 1808 portrayed French soldiers essentially executing Spanish civilians attempting to resist Napoleon's occupation during the Peninsular War. Goya, much like Manet, met resistance with his work. As if in homage, Manet illustrated The Execution of Maximilian, a similarly-styled depiction of the death of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian by French soldiers. Both make faceless the soldiers doing the killing, and accentuate the horror-filled expressions on the faces of those being shot, no doubt to invoke emotion in the viewer. Both works do not focus on the glory of battle, or the fanciful myths of the past – they focus on the pain and realities of the present. Knowing their context did not make either of them more comfortable to view for the audiences (both common and royal) of their time. 

Speaking about The Execution of Maximilian, Howard states, “[Manet], a blasé sophisticate, apparently had an antipathy for the display of sentiment in his work. But in the show of emotion from this tragic event and its actors, with whom he so passionately identified... Manet gave compressive force to his work, which had all the latent power of fused bombs” (p 19). Manet's use of subtly showing emotion plays through much of his works, and it seems that no matter how dispassionately he tried to illustrate, the emotion showed through to both past and modern critics and fans alike.

The same use of emotion seems to be implied in Bar at the Folies-Bergère, and not simply through the figures in the painting. The mirror itself might be a clue, as is the skewed perspective. “In a way, he's saying that the mirror is this thing that's represented the truth for so long, that paintings are mirrors of the visual world... No, mirrors are false, mirrors are just as constructed... as everything else, based on our point of view” (Harris, Zucker). The mirror portrays a huge crowd of beautifully-dressed people, bright lights and wonderful spectacles, intimacy and wealth. Yet it also shows seduction and perhaps even prostitution. Now ignore everything in the mirror, and what is shown? A young rosy-cheeked barmaid, her face emotionless yet emotional simultaneously, surrounded by wine and fruit on the bar as if on sale herself. Although Manet's use of perspective might seem wrong in the mirror, perhaps it is showing us something different: the world's perspective. Busy, frivolous, faceless, and manipulative. Yet Bar at the Folies-Bergère doesn't focus on that perspective – it focuses on the barmaid. She isn't just the central figure in the piece, she (and her womanhood and vulnerability) might be the central message as well, as if the artist acknowledges the reality of society around him yet urges the viewer to focus on the woman. What emotions is she feeling, what thoughts are going on in her mind, why is she there in the first place? A very humanistic approach to painting, indeed.

Although attributed to Pablo Picasso, Manet's beautiful and masterful work can be described as such: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” At first glance, Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergère seems to be a work of art far removed from the artistic perfection and  realistic style of the time. But as impressionistic artists began to let playful lights and colors illustrate the world instead of calculating and emotionless lines and perspective, Manet employed 'artful errors' to show more than figures on a canvas. He used it to demonstrate the problems and issues facing men and women, both common and high-class, in society; truly an idea ahead of its time. Whether or not this was Manet's true purpose continues to be debated, but the effects of his 'scandalous' yet masterful artwork continues to be appreciated just as keenly today.

Bibliography

• "Edouard Manet." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 9 Aug. 2015.
• “El 3 de mayo en Madrid, o 'Los fusilamientos'” Online Gallery. Museo Nacional Del Prado, 2015. Web. 9 Aug. 2015
• Harris, Beth and Zucker, Steven. “Édouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882.” Smarthistory. Art, history, conversation. YouTube, 25 Apr. 2009. Web. 9 Aug. 2015. 
• Howard, Seymour. "Early Manet and Artful Error: Foundations of Anti-Illusion in Modern Painting." Art Journal 1977: 14. JSTOR Journals. Web. 9 Aug. 2015.
• Iskin, Ruth E. "Selling, Seduction, and Soliciting the Eye: Manet's Bar at the Folies- Bergère." The Art Bulletin 1995: 25. JSTOR Journals. Web. 9 Aug. 2015.
• Rabinow, Rebecca. “Édouard Manet (1832–1883).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-. MetMuseum.org. Web. 9 Aug, 2015.