 A Bar at Foiles-Bergere was Manet's last Salon painting. He was seriously ill in 1882 and because of his illness this was his last large scale painting. Manet's picture was accepted by only one vote and he achieved his lifelong ambition.
Reflected in the mirror, we can see a busy animated audience that the barmaid seems to ignore. Two of Manet's friends are in the crowd; Mery Laurent is the woman in white and Jeanne Demarsy is the woman in beige.In spite of the barmaid's sadness, this is a joyous work, filled with light and color. It is Manet's world, an expression of himself and his own sadness at his inevitable departure.
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