In Edward Manet’s “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère,” a woman is looking extremely perplexed at the audience.  She is staring at the customer as if she hates her life.  But at the same time she is helping someone in the mirror.  When the viewer first glances at this painting it is a bit confusing.  The woman in the painting is metaphorically wearing two separate masks.  The woman represents a female’s worth at this time, and their place in the work field.  

At first glance, it is hard to understand the painting.  I first thought there were two women bartenders, who looked and dressed the same.  I started trying to understand the meaning behind the painting.  Then, I realized the bartenders are the same person, and the painting shows a reflection in the mirror.  I initially thought there were two separate women because of their posture.  The woman staring directly at us seems annoyed.  When I thought I was looking at two separate women, the back of the woman seemed more inviting.  Once I realized it was the same woman, I felt I understood the meaning in the painting better.  The young woman was a server, who appears to hate her life, and what she does for a living.  During the time period featured in the painting, the bartenders were prostitutes.  The back reflection is so much friendlier and inviting because of the outsiders’ perspective.  Although the woman is unhappy, it only matters what others think.  Her customers see her reflection differently than she sees herself on the inside.  The woman’s customers see a woman simply doing the job she has to do.  But, the woman gives an inside look to the audience of how she is really feeling, which is depressed and worthless.  

The mirror displays images of people in the background.  The people in the background are sitting, and enjoying their evenings.  The people are not extremely detailed which I believe is done on purpose.  They are not the main focus of the painting.  All of the men and women are dressed extremely nice.  They are wearing top hats and gowns, which signifies their high level of class.  This helps an audience better understand the society and surrounding lifestyle this female prostitute not only lives among, but cannot ever experience.  

Next, I think the woman’s facial expression gives us more insight.  It is calm and depressed, yet screaming with so much power on the inside.  You can see the woman’s pain.  Everyone around her is happy, drinking with friends, but she is screaming on the inside.  A lot of people can relate to this thought in some way.  I believe lots of people have a time in their life when they feel trapped, or sad about their current life situation.  I can relate to this painting specifically because I felt out of place in high school.  For example, I was Homecoming Queen, Captain of the Girls Soccer team, Vice President of National Honors Society, and most people would have described me as “popular” in high school.  I feel there was a side to me that nobody actually knew because I had a particular image to my peers.  I am actually a person who cares deeply about social injustices, and politics yet nobody ever saw that side of me.  I felt like I owed my town gratitude, because they treated me like I should be extremely happy with the way I was seen.  I think the woman in the painting is similar.  Customers probably think she should be grateful to have a job, but maybe she wants more.  People may have seen me as a happy, modern student, but that is not how I actually felt.  I believe an artist expresses emotions hoping to connect to their audiences. 

 Another item in the painting that I believe relates to the main point of inner-sadness is the bowl of oranges, they are just out of reach for the woman.  They are extremely bright, especially in a painting so dull with darker colors.  At first, I did not think the oranges were significant until I started to understand the entire painting more clearly.  I researched the presence of fruit, specifically oranges in art.  Oranges traditionally signify a sense of class.  They give off the air of higher class, although this woman is not a part of it.  The oranges are present to attract the bar’s customers.  These customers are upper class people who want to be surrounded by this essence.  Similarly, the woman in the painting is a prostitute trying to attract customers that will pay high amounts of money.  The artist places the oranges in the painting in sight of the woman, but also just out of reach of something that she could possibly achieve.  Edouard Manet includes the bowl of oranges to express the level of class and emphasize the woman’s sorrow. (The Fruit of Promise).

 Lastly, another example along with the oranges the artist adds to reflect the woman’s self-worth is the jewelry they make her wear.  She is wearing a fancy necklace and a gold bracelet.  Her outfit is up-scale, while the woman is not.  Again the world dangles class right in front of her face, that she knows she will never actually have for herself.  People often use the saying “wear your heart on your sleeve,” well she literally has to wear the piece of her life she loathes as clothing.  It is a constant reminder of what she stands for in this world.  

 In conclusion, the artist paints an extremely strong, beautiful message that many people can relate too.  A woman who is completely misunderstood, by everyone around.  I personally related to the woman’s sense of feeling lost in this confusing world.  The artist uses helping pieces such as oranges, and jewelry to depict the woman’s lack of class and happiness.  
