Let’s talk about Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère
Everyone knows that staring at a woman’s cleavage is disrespectful. But in the case of Édouard Manet’s famous portrayal of a Parisian cabaret, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882), our objectifying gaze has been deliberately orchestrated by the artist to nestle on a detail carefully positioned at the bosom of the barmaid. Here, Manet has planted in plain sight an underappreciated floral flourish that unlocks the power of one of the most intriguing and poignant paintings in all of modern art.
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