The Bar at the Follies Bergere

[PeterRS]

Little here about art. So hopefully this might start the ball rolling.

Whenever I travel I try to take in an art exhibition or visit a gallery. Occasionally I will see work of art which stuns me. Caravaggio is a favourite painter of many gay guys. In Bangkok a year or so ago there was a wonderful exhibition of digital reproductions. Not like seeing the originals but they looked wonderful.  I remember about 3 decades ago a friend took me to the rather dingy interior of the French Church in Rome not far from the Piazza Navona. There was a side chapel near the altar. When you put some Lire into an electricity box, the chapel lit up and there before us were three large stunning Caravaggio paintings. 

Even earlier there was one painting which i have been tracking down for decades - and never found. I was in Berlin in the early 1980s. I wanted to see East Berlin and so took the S-Bahn across to Alexanderplatz. The drabness of that open space was enough for me. I got on the next train back to the west. Alighting at the first stop, I noticed a museum. In the basement I saw a painting that I recall was a Renoir bursting with colour, such a contrast to the scene I had just witnessed. Since then i have tried to find that painting, without success. Back in Berlin a few years ago, I noted that the Museum no longer existed. But I did attend a Monet exhibition and saw one painting (below) that was very similar to what I remembered as a Renoir. But the Renoir had the figures running towards the stream from a house in the upper left. I am resigned never to finding it! 

A painting which has literally grabbed me was one I saw in London's small Courtauld gallery 5 years ago. I had not wanted to go as I was very tired that day, but my friend insisted. So we trooped around what is an interesting gallery. Then I saw this large painting by Edouard Manet - Un Bar aux Folles-Bergere. I was immediately captivated. Nothing in the painting seemed to make sense. The barmaid is looking out at us with a blank expression. Behind we see the audience enjoying the titllating show of the Follies Bergere. 

But then we can see her back curved behind and on her right. We also see that she is talking to an elderly man. What is he doing? Ordering a drink? Unlikely given the blank reaction of the barmaid. Perhaps he is seeking an assignation after the show. Then we realise that all the way behind her is a curved mirror and that the audience is in fact in front of her. There are lots of other fascinating things about the painting whichI will not go into here. But I remain fascinated by it.

[TotallyOz]

I do love that painting. I had an art history professor in the 1980's share it with me and I thought it was fabulous. He sparked an interest in art for me and I have been a lover ever since. Growing up in Alabama the biggest art thing we had was a bluegrass festival. When I went away to college, I was immersed in art from the the museums of Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philly, London, Paris. I was able to tour London on a literary tour with my college and was first introduced to musicals. But, in the day, we spent time on museum scavenger hunts. My professor was an art historian and British Literature professor. She shared 3 weeks of music, art, and literature with us. One of the nights, we saw Ian McClellan in Richard III and he went to a pub with us as they were friends. This was shortly after he was knighted and was the first openly gay actor I knew. I believe this was the early 90s. On that trip, I saw this painting by Manet. I do not remember where I saw it at but we went to a different museum each day for 3 weeks and then musicals at night. I think this was the trip I saw the roller skating musical. I know it was the trip I saw Miss Saigon (more than once) before it came to USA. Thank you for bringing up this amazing painting and so many wonderful memories.

One quick one: I shared a room with a girl for the trip. We were best friends. And, she was happy I didn't try to take advantage of her. LOL If she could only see me now.

[nycman]

It’s usually translated as “A Bar....”. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Bergère

A minor but important difference. I also just realized I’ve never seen this painting in real life since I’ve never been to the Courtauld.

https://courtauld.ac.uk

I now have my first Post-COVID art adventure! Thank you!

[PeterRS]

7 hours ago, nycman said:

It’s usually translated as “A Bar....”. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Bergère

A minor but important difference. I also just realized I’ve never seen this painting in real life since I’ve never been to the Courtauld.

https://courtauld.ac.uk

I now have my first Post-COVID art adventure! Thank you!

Thanks for correcting the title. If you plan a trip to take in the Courtauld Gallery, make sure in advance that the painting has not been lent out to an exhibition somewhere. This does happen occasionally.

[arronax75]

I am glad that you mentioned Caravaggio. 

Indeed, I am a big fan of him, trying to see all his paintings around the World. Only a few of them remain for me to see.

I think that I saw his first paintings in London in the National Gallery, but his first canvas that caught my eye was Christ taken from the cross (The entombment) in the Vatican Museums. His physique is incredible.

[PeterRS]

22 hours ago, arronax75 said:

I am glad that you mentioned Caravaggio. 

Indeed, I am a big fan of him, trying to see all his paintings around the World. Only a few of them remain for me to see.

I have seen quite a few. Although I love much in the larger paintings,I think my favourites are The Fortune Teller in the Louvre and The Lute Player in The Hermitage. 

[arronax75]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

I have seen quite a few. Although I love much in the larger paintings,I think my favourites are The Fortune Teller in the Louvre and The Lute Player in The Hermitage. 

The Fortune Teller actually has two versions. The other one is in Musei Capitolini in Rome. Both are nice and funny in a way.

Same goes for David with Goliath's head. I prefer the one in Wien to the other in Rome.

Btw, I highly recommend Derek Jarman's Caravaggio movie from the 80s.

[PeterRS]

10 hours ago, arronax75 said:

I highly recommend Derek Jarman's Caravaggio movie from the 80s.

I have heard of it but living in Asia at the time of its release, it was never going to get a showing. I particularly love the work of the actors Tilda Swinton and Robbie Coltraine and will look out for the DVD or on streaming. Jarman was a fascinating, outrageous character. I only saw productions with his designs. Ken Russell's TV The Devils about a sexually repressed nun with Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave allied to Ken Russell's direction I thought stunning. Unfortunately I also saw what I considered a dreadful design of Mozart's Don Giovanni at London's Coliseum Opera House. The great actor John Gielgud directed it - abysmally, I thought!!

[arronax75]

3 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I have heard of it but living in Asia at the time of its release, it was never going to get a showing. I particularly love the work of the actors Tilda Swinton and Robbie Coltraine and will look out for the DVD or on streaming. Jarman was a fascinating, outrageous character. I only saw productions with his designs. Ken Russell's TV The Devils about a sexually repressed nun with Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave allied to Ken Russell's direction I thought stunning. Unfortunately I also saw what I considered a dreadful design of Mozart's Don Giovanni at London's Coliseum Opera House. The great actor John Gielgud directed it - abysmally, I thought!!

It should be available here: https://www.amazon.com/Caravaggio-Noam-Almaz/dp/B00241VL42.

[captainmick]

On 4/26/2021 at 7:00 PM, arronax75 said:

I highly recommend Derek Jarman's Caravaggio movie from the 80s.

I prefer Derek Caravaggio’s movie released yesterday https://www.freshmen.net/content/jorik-tautou-amp-derek-caravaggio--32648