Look at Edourard Manet\'s Impressionist painting of 1882 titled, \"A Bar at the

Question

Look at Edourard Manet's Impressionist painting of 1882 titled, "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere." This painting (among others) has been cited as the beginning of Modern Art. Considering the textbook information (and without googling this painting), do a thorough analysis of why this painting could be considered a first Modern painting. What is so new or revelatory about it? Consider the following in your response; style, content, composition, value, color. Then, how do these formal elements contribute to the meaning? Why is it revelatory of its particular time and cultural context?

Explanation / Answer

This is a modern painting because of its contemporary subject matter, mainly illustrating the social life that was considered popular.Specific things that were considered popular were trapeze acts, which were considered the latest entertainment of the time. The principle character in A Bar at the Folies-Bergère is the barmaid situated at the center of the canvas. This is a very lively painting with plenty of action and energy even though barmaid looks as if she is tired, bored or both.Everything about barmaid and her surroundings suggests vanity. The combination of the mirror reflection, the flowers, and the worldliness of the place are standard features of the iconography of vanitas paintings, or remembrances of mortality. She gives the impression that everything is futile and meaningless. Manet is showing the importance of commodity and how highly it is held within the culture. It is very telling of the owners’ marketing tactics that the bottles are placed on the bar, and that service is offered by an attractive young woman. A broad variety of bottles exemplify that the café-bar is a gathering place for diverse people, from all social classes, all partaking of the same products offered for sale. While Manet’s depiction of the barmaid remains vulnerable to public scrutiny, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère may well be a criticism of the way society expects its women to function according to the types of professions available to them. In his paintingA Bar at the Folies-Bergère,Édouard Manet uses the art element of texture to effectively render lace and marble in the bar room scene. He also uses texture to simulate the effect of the crowded room behind the barmaid. The element of space is used to show the depth of what is obviously an extremely large gathering room.   His work shows some elements from all of the artistic styles of his time, yet his paintings are unique. He was one of the first 19th Century artists to use scenes from modern-life as subjects. In a way, his art bridged the gap between Realism and Impressionism. Also, he made considerable use of black pigment, that, in his works, became a true living color. His works were characterized by the use of clear colors, strong lines and large flat areas. His depiction of silhouetted figures have a background in monochrome and a clearly defined outline. Overall, his paintings were so well delineated and rounded in contour that they seemed almost to project outwards from the immediate foreground. Manet brought fresh inspiration and techniques to the observation of nature and contemporary life and ultimately served both as an influence and a stimulus for the Impressionists. Manet was well versed in classical iconography and provides clues as to her identity. The roses located in the right foreground are not without meaning. The rose was sacred to Venus in antiquity and is her attribute in Renaissance art; It also is associated with the Virgin Mary in religious paintings. To make sure that these aspects were noticed, Manet placed a white rose, symbol of purity, beside the pale pink one, a symbol of divine love. Both are in a glass of water on the bar -- a vessel of water is another traditional symbol of purity. Also, two white roses appear in the barmaid’s corsage. I believe that Manet intends the painting to convey a modern image of an ancient deity.

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