I saw this at the Courtauld gallery yesterday and it's outstanding. I think the mirror reflects the girl's thoughts as she remembers a happier time (possibly with the viewer). It's worth noting that the reflected bottles are also set the wrong side of the counter.
There's a club if you'd like to go. You could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, you go home, you cry and you want to die
I find a certain "ennui" (I hope that's the right word) in the girl's expression. She doesn't look directly at the viewer (assuming that we are the patron to the far right of the painting). Instead, she looks down a little and off to her right, and her eyes seem glazed, as though lost in thought while the patron gives his line or makes his move, or whatever. It's not fear, but fatigue I see. As though hundreds of men have approached her just that night. It's a sadness and loneliness, but one that recognizes that this suitor will not cure that loneliness. She is aware, so she's decidedly attentive to her physical setting. But there's also a distant longing, that sets her apart from her physical setting. This expression is more mysterious and masterful than that of da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
She is clearly watching that lady in front of her at the distance, wishing she was her, with those pretty yellow gloves having fun, that is why the gloves lady is such a high contrast in the painting (but not the highest). She is even ignoring the man in front of her, she doesn’t care, she is daydreaming on the job.
She is tired from standing and working all day, leaning forward and resting her arms on the counter. The place is noisy, smoke filled, and full of intoxicated people. It is nearly time for her to finish, go home and get some rest. The man has only met her at work a few times but is aggressive in look and wants her to go out with him when she gets off. She is tired and just wants him to go away but is afraid he will make a scene and embarrass her. She is hoping that by maintaining her pose and her facial expression he will get the message. She doesn’t want to go out with him after work today or really anytime. It is not the first time she has been confronted by an aggressive and somewhat inebriated customer seeking something she does not want to do. She doesn’t want to lose her job. How can she negotiate through these situations now and in the future? She is looking at us. What would we tell her?
The focal point of this painting is actually the hair. Notice how much time Manet spent on painting her hair. You can almost see the individual strands. Also her hair can not be more plain Jane. She is in a room full of women and they are all wearing elaborate hats on top of elaborate coiffures. Yet her hair is brushed straight and put in a ponytail - with no hat. She is the epitome of a working class girl. She is a servant in a room full of the wealthy enjoying life. She epitomizes the eternal dilemma of the shop girl. She wistfully wishes she was in front of the counter instead of behind it.
No, the focal point is the corsage. There are four lines of perspective focused on the corsage. The foreground triangle is formed by the two sets of bottles and the corsage. The background triangle is formed by the corsage and the two vectors in the two background scenes reaching to infinity through the streets of Paris. Put another way, the perspective lines create a large X from the left rear to the front right, and the right rear to the left front. This X is centered over the woman's heart which lies under the corsage. That is the focal point of this painting. Whatever programatic content one senses is up to the viewer and not specifically intended by the artist. If anything, Manet is thinking of her voluptuous body and her emotions.
That is a bit weak of an argument. The focal point is her face and head. No one is looking at the corsage when her face is showing perplexed emotion. And as far as the perspective going into infinity into the streets of Paris.... Well considering the painting is set indoors, I really think you are grasping for validation there.
@@ovh992 The focal point is her breasts, the corsage, her heart. The perspective lines are there for all to see. The background with its two views through the wall into the streets, put there intentionally by Manet, is even more dizzying than the misplacement of the bottles in their reflection and the off-center reflection of the woman showing an absent man, like a thought bubble. This is a distortion of time and space and reflects the woman's mental state. While the face is certainly of great interest, by focal point I am referring to lines of perspective which you seem not to understand.
It caught me by surprise to learn that she was standing in front of a mirror. Even after hearing that, I couldn't reconcile what I was seeing with that knowledge (e.g. her distorted pose and the missing man), so it was nice to hear that Manet was just jerking me around. Those eyes do look very sad. She is 103% over her shift - or perhaps the man standing before her.
Thank you so much for this video! Next week we will talk about this painting ( and the late realism - early impresionism ) in class. What I found now really fascinating about this painting is this new relationship between the personages and the spectator Manet tries to make. The bartenter may look and think in a certian way at/about the man approaching her, but not about us, the spectators ( we are like an objective narrator or a camera ).
An insightful commentary on a remarkable work by Steven and Beth. Very educational. The top hat man in the mirror seems "off" spatially from the direct view of the bar maid. He would be in front of us blocking our view of her.
Great discussion. The counter doesn't look straight across to me, nor that strip behind her, and the reflection and angle with the man doesn't look right; her shoulders look even though. He looks as if he's close to her and he's much taller, but she can't be looking at him since she's looking downwards and thus he should look shorter and more distant. He may not even really exist. I see her expression as sad and detached-the kind of expression when you are thinking and not looking at anything specifically. Perhaps she wishes she weren't working and having fun like all the patrons, and that a gentleman would be interested in her. It's thought provoking. Manet makes dabs of paint effective.
Hi guys, great video! Could you guys do an analysis of a more modern piece of art; photography to be specific? It would be interesting to hear this type of thinking applied to a modern form of art technology
You can find a good deal of photography on our site. Here is an example from just before the Manet: smarthistory.org/julia-margaret-cameron-mrs-herbert-duckworth/ and here are more contemporary examples: smarthistory.org/tag/photography-video/
Just noticed another inconsistency. If they're saying the bottom of the mirror is shown to be of a gold color. That would mean the bottom of the mirror would have went all the way accross & cutting off the bottom portion of the woman's body. That would make it more believable as it's a reflection off to the side. I feel it's another woman. The wall would have to be bent to capture her reflection in that angle. The other things I noticed are the bottles behind her are not the same as the ones in the foreground. All the bottles have gold tops, while the other in the BG has no gold top. Her posture & shoulders are different. Her hair is different.
@@smarthistory-art-history Yes, I think it fascinating that he was fully aware of those things & distorts reality deliberately from the viewpoint of what can be another's. In a place where they can escape reality can distort it to their liking is not at all what really is the reality of this woman but theirs. Me personally I also had fun finding the inconsistencies like those games where you can find hidden figures in a picture along with the many interpretations of this painting.
Guys, she's half-listening to the gentleman speak to her--probably smiling at some over-used pick-up line of the day. But she's wondering: _J'ai laissé le fer allumé?_
What a wonderful piece of art. Thanks for talking us through it :-)
I saw this at the Courtauld gallery yesterday and it's outstanding. I think the mirror reflects the girl's thoughts as she remembers a happier time (possibly with the viewer). It's worth noting that the reflected bottles are also set the wrong side of the counter.
I think it represents loneliness in a place full of people
I have been telling people that for years .
I have argued that for years .
There's a club if you'd like to go. You could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, you go home, you cry and you want to die
I agree-her gaze feels distanced.
@@joshvalle5521 Morrissey....✨👌🥰✨
I find a certain "ennui" (I hope that's the right word) in the girl's expression. She doesn't look directly at the viewer (assuming that we are the patron to the far right of the painting). Instead, she looks down a little and off to her right, and her eyes seem glazed, as though lost in thought while the patron gives his line or makes his move, or whatever. It's not fear, but fatigue I see. As though hundreds of men have approached her just that night. It's a sadness and loneliness, but one that recognizes that this suitor will not cure that loneliness. She is aware, so she's decidedly attentive to her physical setting. But there's also a distant longing, that sets her apart from her physical setting.
This expression is more mysterious and masterful than that of da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
The cut glass containing the oranges is the most impressive part of the painting to me.
She is clearly watching that lady in front of her at the distance, wishing she was her, with those pretty yellow gloves having fun, that is why the gloves lady is such a high contrast in the painting (but not the highest). She is even ignoring the man in front of her, she doesn’t care, she is daydreaming on the job.
She is tired from standing and working all day, leaning forward and resting her arms on the counter. The place is noisy, smoke filled, and full of intoxicated people. It is nearly time for her to finish, go home and get some rest. The man has only met her at work a few times but is aggressive in look and wants her to go out with him when she gets off. She is tired and just wants him to go away but is afraid he will make a scene and embarrass her. She is hoping that by maintaining her pose and her facial expression he will get the message. She doesn’t want to go out with him after work today or really anytime. It is not the first time she has been confronted by an aggressive and somewhat inebriated customer seeking something she does not want to do. She doesn’t want to lose her job. How can she negotiate through these situations now and in the future? She is looking at us. What would we tell her?
This is a very credible description. Good art provides food for thought.
Viewing this piece as a woman helps you interpret it in a whole new way, truly!
The focal point of this painting is actually the hair. Notice how much time Manet spent on painting her hair. You can almost see the individual strands. Also her hair can not be more plain Jane. She is in a room full of women and they are all wearing elaborate hats on top of elaborate coiffures. Yet her hair is brushed straight and put in a ponytail - with no hat. She is the epitome of a working class girl. She is a servant in a room full of the wealthy enjoying life. She epitomizes the eternal dilemma of the shop girl. She wistfully wishes she was in front of the counter instead of behind it.
No, the focal point is the corsage. There are four lines of perspective focused on the corsage. The foreground triangle is formed by the two sets of bottles and the corsage. The background triangle is formed by the corsage and the two vectors in the two background scenes reaching to infinity through the streets of Paris. Put another way, the perspective lines create a large X from the left rear to the front right, and the right rear to the left front. This X is centered over the woman's heart which lies under the corsage. That is the focal point of this painting. Whatever programatic content one senses is up to the viewer and not specifically intended by the artist. If anything, Manet is thinking of her voluptuous body and her emotions.
That is a bit weak of an argument. The focal point is her face and head. No one is looking at the corsage when her face is showing perplexed emotion. And as far as the perspective going into infinity into the streets of Paris.... Well considering the painting is set indoors, I really think you are grasping for validation there.
@@ovh992 The focal point is her breasts, the corsage, her heart. The perspective lines are there for all to see. The background with its two views through the wall into the streets, put there intentionally by Manet, is even more dizzying than the misplacement of the bottles in their reflection and the off-center reflection of the woman showing an absent man, like a thought bubble. This is a distortion of time and space and reflects the woman's mental state. While the face is certainly of great interest, by focal point I am referring to lines of perspective which you seem not to understand.
It caught me by surprise to learn that she was standing in front of a mirror. Even after hearing that, I couldn't reconcile what I was seeing with that knowledge (e.g. her distorted pose and the missing man), so it was nice to hear that Manet was just jerking me around. Those eyes do look very sad. She is 103% over her shift - or perhaps the man standing before her.
Exactly, it is a painting about the denial of the naturalistic illusion he scorned. He will not let you forget you are looking at paint.
Thank you so much for this video! Next week we will talk about this painting ( and the late realism - early impresionism ) in class.
What I found now really fascinating about this painting is this new relationship between the personages and the spectator Manet tries to make. The bartenter may look and think in a certian way at/about the man approaching her, but not about us, the spectators ( we are like an objective narrator or a camera ).
Hello, I have a lecture on this subject, can you please share your thoughts?
Thank you for the commentary
terrific ! Thank you!
Thank You for the interesting interpretations
An insightful commentary on a remarkable work by Steven and Beth. Very educational. The top hat man in the mirror seems "off" spatially from the direct view of the bar maid. He would be in front of us blocking our view of her.
I am so careful in subscription. It’s a new way of great explaination.
Thx
Great video, but haven't they discussed this painting before?
We replace old videos periodically.
Great discussion. The counter doesn't look straight across to me, nor that strip behind her, and the reflection and angle with the man doesn't look right; her shoulders look even though. He looks as if he's close to her and he's much taller, but she can't be looking at him since she's looking downwards and thus he should look shorter and more distant. He may not even really exist. I see her expression as sad and detached-the kind of expression when you are thinking and not looking at anything specifically. Perhaps she wishes she weren't working and having fun like all the patrons, and that a gentleman would be interested in her. It's thought provoking. Manet makes dabs of paint effective.
This is one of my favorite paintings. I see the woman as being disinterested and maybe bored.
Hi guys, great video! Could you guys do an analysis of a more modern piece of art; photography to be specific? It would be interesting to hear this type of thinking applied to a modern form of art technology
You can find a good deal of photography on our site. Here is an example from just before the Manet: smarthistory.org/julia-margaret-cameron-mrs-herbert-duckworth/ and here are more contemporary examples: smarthistory.org/tag/photography-video/
+Smarthistory. art, history, conversation. Thank you for linking these
I think the man represents us as the viewers
Just noticed another inconsistency. If they're saying the bottom of the mirror is shown to be of a gold color. That would mean the bottom of the mirror would have went all the way accross & cutting off the bottom portion of the woman's body. That would make it more believable as it's a reflection off to the side. I feel it's another woman. The wall would have to be bent to capture her reflection in that angle. The other things I noticed are the bottles behind her are not the same as the ones in the foreground. All the bottles have gold tops, while the other in the BG has no gold top. Her posture & shoulders are different. Her hair is different.
And those inconsistencies are his very point, this is not a photograph, it is painting.
@@smarthistory-art-history Yes, I think it fascinating that he was fully aware of those things & distorts reality deliberately from the viewpoint of what can be another's. In a place where they can escape reality can distort it to their liking is not at all what really is the reality of this woman but theirs. Me personally I also had fun finding the inconsistencies like those games where you can find hidden figures in a picture along with the many interpretations of this painting.
I think that
She
is looking into a mirror, behind the bar.,.
And
We
are looking out through
Her
eyes...as if we are
Her...
Choć liczni poprzednicy przygotowali Monetowi drogę,Impresja stanowi śmiały krok naprzód,wobec którego błędną osiągnięcia nawet Constanlea i Cirota.
Guys, she's half-listening to the gentleman speak to her--probably smiling at some over-used pick-up line of the day. But she's wondering: _J'ai laissé le fer allumé?_