Barmaid's A Bar At The Folies Bergere

There is plenty scholarly discussion about whether the central character, the barmaid, seems to be “anguished and disenchanted” or “calm and cool.” With the barmaid’s supposed thoughts and feelings often overemphasized, modern interpretation of A Bar at the Folies Bergere is too exaggerated. Although appearing quite passive, the painting depicts the barmaid with a subtle depressed nature.
One art critic, David Pagel, discusses the barmaid as a “dispirited server” and claims that the painting in general is about disconnection in the world. At first glance, the barmaid apparently seems to be calm and attentive to the man across the bar; but upon further inspection, the barmaid and the man look as if they are lost in their own thoughts-- isolated from their actual surroundings (Pagel). This effect is what causes some critics to believe that she seems numb to her happy and lively environment, “ but she is not numb enough to be
In a letter concerning the barmaid’s aura, Franz Shulze attempts to clarify the paint by saying, “There is no sign of any emotional state in that face except impassivity and certainly nothing that demonstrates “her wretched unhappiness.” The problem with this claim is the discernable discontent the barmaid has portrayed on her countenance. Another letter about the painting says the barmaid is “. . . calm and cool the way any bartender is to a first-time customer” (Stier). This can be easily discounted for after one realizes the trick on perspective Manet creates: the barmaid and the man aren’t facing each other (Source 1).
A Bar at the Folie Bergere is a stunning piece of art that portrays a server who is a bit discontent with her surroundings, but nevertheless still appears passive. The center character of the painting is neither an anguished server wishing for a better life or a calm and cool bartender, attentive to her