Exploring Manet's A Bar at Follies-Bergere - Essay Sample

Introduction

Over the last few centuries, Eduard Manet's artist work "A bar at follies-Bergere" has remained a source of wonder to many people viewing it over the years. Most spectators of Manet's works are incomplete puzzles to depict the meaning behind his artwork. Many people have tried to debate on the intended meanings or his work of art for centuries. Some believe maybe the painting styles reflect Manet's livelihood depicting his career as an artist. The purpose of this research analysis paper is to try to investigate the influence of Manet's painting styles to impressions.

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Early Life Leading to Artistic work

Eduard Manet was born in one of the rich families in Paris on 23rd January 1832. At his tender age, Janet had developed a passion for painting careers and wanted to join the artist field. However, he did not get much support from his father. Due to his father's preferences for him to join the military at the time, he was forced to sail to Rio de Janeiro. However, Janet did not succeed in becoming a military soldier due to his glued passion in an artist.

Edouard Manet Influence to Impressionists

Edouard Manet is among the most influential artist, which helps in aligning the existing disparity between Reality and impressionism. During his career development, Janet borrows most ideas from the former approach but shapes the recent painting technique in a more modern manner. Most of the art he made was highly influenced by naturalism and realism of Spanish court artists and his colleague French artist who made him realize the modern way of painting.

Manet's stylish drawing builds the foundations for most impressionists. He carried out his painting sketches with his Co-impressionates by creating rough sketches and later returning to refine the drawing to the final drawing. He is best known for his ability to of combining all the painting strategies at once. His painting styles involve laying done the hue to match the final or desired scene. Janet believed that there exist no lines in life but budge of colors successive to one another, an approach that made him successful in the artist field. His ideology becomes very useful to the successive impressionate who found it useful especially when making drawings on atmosphere and light aspects while painting outdoors.

Edouard manet was majorly known for his excellent art of painting normal urban life scenes. Most of his work was a reflection of modern development occurring in Paris during his growing period. Being determined to outrage, the urban lifestyle such as French salons, Janet's work extensively involved breaking the complexity in academic conventions. Edouard Manet's work greatly influenced the impressionist artist at the time. His artist's work had a strong effect reflecting the 20th century, and it was the first modern art that cane to existence after the creation of Paris's opening way to modernity.

A Bar at Folies-Berger Controversial Painting

One of his famous artwork was "A Bar at Folies-Bergere," showing a woman standing behind a bar. A spectator viewing the art can see a huge mirror behind the lady showing a reflection of the scenery view of the environment as well as other features exhibited by the reflection. At a glance, the viewers can see a live venue for entertaining, showing attendants boasting with drinks. A pair of trapeze artist is visible at the far conner insulating the venue event. Scrutinizing further, one can notice a man at the far right corner of the mirror reflection socializing with the lady at the bar. Our main analysis is based on this interactive events.

Various Views Concerning the Paint "At a Bar in Folies-Bergere"

In the case study of the painting, the artist uses a mirror, which raises many questions. However, spotting the woman at the foreground causes more confusion for anybody viewing the painting. According to researchers such as Albert Boime, it can easily suggest a standing evidence of feminism taken by the artist at a closer analysis of the women's expression in the background.

Albert Boime argues that the woman's detachment proves some root cause of trouble in some way; the lady does not confront wholly by the role she is endorsed to play. According to Boime, the woman is just trying to interact with her potential client, the man in the reflection, in order to sell her body. There is a perception regarding the painting that the woman shown in the painting is a prostitute. The earlier scenes in the late 19th century, most bar attendants women were selling their bodies secretly which proves the aim of the woman in this case.

The series of events deduced from the painting brings another possible information hidden behind the painting; the still life on the bar. The environment shown in the reflection behind the woman could be symbolic in some manner. Another researcher Ruth E. Iskin tries to establish the connection between the total sales the woman rips from men with the "goods" sold at the bar.

The woman in the painting is a possible "salesgirl" trying to exploit various resources for high classic life, as depicted in the background. Iskin tries to compare the woman in the painting with Edouard Manet himself as he sells his paintings. The author suggests, "The painting itself reveals Manet's identification of his art with products on sale."

Also, the artist had a good history of associating his paintings with the earlier venues he had attended. There is a possible reflection of what the artist himself liked by attending similar venues like the Folies-Berger. His painting could be simply reflecting his life at an entertainment venue.

There is various criticism about the painting by various researchers. Some researchers like Fran Herrick argue that the criticism made about the painting can be summed to be Edouard Manet himself at the bar making the fan with bar attendants.

However, the idea behind this assumption can be readily opposing, by investigation the point of view. When the angle of view is from the far right and the head-on view on the foreground, it is difficult to make such a conclusion. There exists a mystery according to the view perspective, and most comment suggests that the man means the spectators, and at the same time, it cannot be viewers since they are observing her directly, and the reflection seen is off at the other side. The controversy experienced in this case suggests the painting has some willful distortion.

From the observation, a link between Iskin's point of view and Herrick's conclusion on A Bar at the Follies-Berger can be established. By intertwining the two perspectives, another perspective can emerge: is it possible the woman seen in the bar selling goods represents Edouard's Business of selling the painting, and the man has seen also represented himself. By use of a mirror, the woman in the mirror may represent Manet himself through reflection on the mirror.

Since his work was painting, it is expected to be his source of income. In order to earn from his profession, Manet had to create enticing art displaying his pieces. At some point, his work proves how artists struggle to make ends meet. Several hours of artist work from the identification of what to be displayed to the point of sale of the painting work. The difficulties in life struggle can be reflected by the woman observed in A Bar at the Follies-Berger.

The woman can be seen trying to sell alcohol and also some juicy fruits placed in the display. There is a perception that the woman, despite selling the bar goods, she also sells herself. The perception of whether the woman sells herself can be expanded to accommodate the expensive clothing she wears as well as her attractive appearance.

Even her posture as she lays against the wall shows she is selling something beyond what the eyes can see. The mirror could have been used to show the mega sale made as a result of the business. The appearance of the mirror could mean window shopping, according to Iskin's views. Window shopping in the late 19th century was referred to as expositions widely used for displaying attractive goods to the public. This means that the use of the mirror means exposing the woman at the bar or the painting itself to the potential buyers.

Most spectators viewing Manet's work seem to be confused about the barmaid's face. Some reviewers claim that the artist made it intentionally to create a scene that could not be understood at first glance. Several critics remain confused about the intentions of the character through her expression.

It is difficult to tell whether the woman was emotional at all and if emotional, then we cannot tell the emotion. Some commenters argue that the woman resembles cardboard sliced from a shop window while others argue she is sulky and bored. However, despite many views, the character seems to be detached from the environment.

When manet was creating the painting, he was very ill. It was his last painting as he was facing death. So, it is possible that the artist used women in the background to reflect his own emotions. He was in immense pain since he was suffering from rheumatism and untreated syphilis. This suggests that he used his emotions at death bed to create the last scene reflecting his life.

By basing the argument on his sickness, it was possible that the artist did not enjoy his surroundings just as the woman showed. The woman does not seem to enjoy her surroundings despite having the most pleasurable things. According to Herrick, the artist was trying to summarize his life and his experience in Paris. Most viewers suggest the sketch of a man represents Edouard himself. It can be concluded that the painting itself was a form of farewell to the world showing his passionate love for his art was in the verge of being forgotten.

Conclusion

By analyzing the artistic styles employed by Edouard Manet, we can conclude that his artistic work forms the building block of the current impressionist work. His work complexity from a simple painting can depict the expectations of artistic work. He can go beyond the literal onsight of a given scene to a deeper level beyond human experience on artistic work. Through his work on A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, many impressionists can conclude what is needed in modern artist work.

References

Boime, A. (1993). Manet's "Un bar aux Folies-Bergere" as an Allegory of Nostalgia. Zeitschrift fur Kunstgeschichte, 56(2), 234. doi:10.2307/1482637

Iskin, R. E. (1995). Selling, Seduction, and Soliciting the Eye: Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergere. The Art Bulletin, 77(1), 25. doi:10.2307/3046078