Description:
Looking at this scene of night life, where under the artificial light, people, flowers, fruit, and bottles are grouped against a background of their own reflections, one is indeed tempted to consider the favorite question of the "picture-dissectors," namely, "Where is the mirror?"
Certainly anyone who set out to determine the exact position of the mirror in this picture would have great difficulty, just as they would in establishing theposition of the bearded man whom we see only in reflection. This is one of those distortions which delight us by their daring (there is a similar one in "Le Bain Tur" by Ingres). The still life in the foreground has been much admired; the champagne bottles are magnificent. In the dish of fruit, Manet for once has abandoned the lemon in favor of the orange. On the marble-topped counter two roses stand in a cordial glass. But the finest feature of the picture is without doubt the girl, with her blonde hair and rosey complexion. Manet has painted her wearing his favorite black velvet ribbon around her neck. This beauty, tired yet still attentive to the customers, was a model called Suzon, introduced to Manet by Henry Dupray, the painter of military subjects. He can be glimpsed with Latouche in the stagebox at the extreme left.
Jeanniot, who watched Manet working at this picture, published his recollections of it in La Grande Revue, on April 10, 1907:
"I saw on a chair behind him and watched him at work. Although he painted from life, Manet did not by any means copy it; I realized his great gift for simplification. He began to build up the woman's head, but not by the means that nature offered him. Everything was concentrated: the tones were lighter, the colors brighter, the values more homogeneous. The whole formed a light and tender harmony. We spoke of Chaplin. "He is very talented, you know," said Manet, while painting in with small strokes the gold paper around the neck of a champagne bottle."
"Other people joined us, and Manet stopped painting to go and sit on the divan against the wall on the right. It was then that I saw how his illness had undermined him. He walked with a stick and appeared to tremble."
Exhibited in the 1882 Salon, this picture, Manet's last important work, won him the praise of the perceptive ccritic, Ernest Chesneau. "Manet", he wrote in L'Annuaire illustre des beaux-arts, "does not immobilize his forms; he surprises them in their affective movement. His formula of art is very new, very personal, very piquant; it marks the artist's conquest of the world of external phenomena, and it will not be lost on future generations."
This is a Serigraph
You are viewing a Serigraph print. Fine artists create serigraphs in limited runs by applying layer upon layer of pigment to the print surface by pressing it through a mesh screen containing a stencil. The complex and lengthy process commonly uses inks for pigment and stencils made of a variety of materials. Because of the nature of the process each serigraph is unique.
This is a Giclee
You are viewing a giclee print. Each piece was created by a special process called "Giclee". Giclee is a computer generated print that is produced by the spraying of an image on to fine art paper. The inks used are specially formulated so that the fine print heads can spurt jets of ink in minute droplets. When prints are produced on fine art quality paper, the print should posses archival standards of permanence comparable or better than other collectible work.
This is a Hand Colored Print
You are viewing a hand colored print. The process begins with hand-pulled black & white decorative and antique reproduction prints. Each print is then individually designed and hand colored using the same methods of color application that were used throughout the 19th century, before modern color lithography. Individual artists meticulously paint each piece using the finest European watercolor paints on heavy mat, acid free, archival paper resistant to deterioration and discoloration. By combining old world craftsmanship with fresh design innovations, our artists create works of stunning depth and vibrancy that are absolutely beautiful and unique.
This is a Museum Quality Fine Art Print
You are viewing a museum quality fine-art print. The prints we carry are produced using either the lithographic or serigraphic printing process and are printed on high quality archival acid free paper. Most prints are on a thick (120 pound or higher) stock of paper. Each print is of the highest museum art print reproduction quality and are supplied by the world's leading art publishers. These prints rival any detailed reproduction from their originals and are geared towards the discerning eye of the particular art collector.
This is a Limited Edition
Limited editions are a series of identical prints, which are limited to a one-time printing of a certain number of pieces. The artist determines the size of the edition, and usually signs and numbers each individual piece. Limited edition prints framed by the Fulcrum Gallery are handled separately and given the utmost individual care and attention, using archival framing materials and practices. Because limited editions are in limited supply, and are of exceptionally high quality, the price is generally at a premium to regular open edition prints.
