A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

Édouard Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, dated 1882, belongs to the Courtauld Gallery in London. A barmaid faces you across a marble counter crowded with bottles and fruit, while the bustling music hall behind her appears only as a reflection in a large mirror.

Where to see it

A Bar at the Folies-Bergère is in the collection of the Courtauld Gallery in London. Paintings can be moved, lent or temporarily taken off view, so check the Courtauld Gallery's official website for current display status, opening hours and ticket information before you visit.

What to look for in person

The mirror and the misplaced reflection

Almost everything behind the barmaid is a reflection in a large gold-framed mirror that runs across the canvas. Take in the crowd, the balcony and the glittering lights seen in it, then look to the right, where the barmaid's reflected back appears as she faces a man in a top hat. Her reflection does not seem to line up with the figure standing in front of you, and this apparent mismatch has been debated for well over a century. In 2000 the art historian Malcolm Park staged a reconstruction indicating that the view is physically possible.

A still life on the counter

Step closer to the marble counter, which works as a still life in its own right. Bottles of champagne, wine and peppermint liqueur stand alongside Bass Pale Ale, recognisable from its red triangle label. A dish of oranges sits in the foreground, glowing against the cool marble. Then check the label of the bottle at the far left of the counter: Manet placed his signature and the date 1882 there, so the place where he claimed the picture is disguised as part of the merchandise on sale.

The barmaid and the trapeze artist

The barmaid stands at the centre, facing you directly with her hands resting on the counter. Her expression is hard to read and often strikes viewers as distant, set against the lively crowd in the mirror. The model was Suzon, who worked at the Folies-Bergère in the early 1880s. Although Manet sketched at the venue, he made the painting in his studio, where she posed. Before you move on, look at the top left corner: a pair of green-shod feet dangling into view belongs to a trapeze artist performing above the audience.

About the painting

Manet painted A Bar at the Folies-Bergère in oil on canvas, and the work is dated 1882, the year before his death, making it one of the last major paintings of his career. It was exhibited at the Paris Salon that same year. The subject is the Folies-Bergère, a Paris music hall where audiences could buy drinks at the bars while acrobats and other acts performed. Manet made sketches on site, but he built the final composition in his studio, where Suzon, a barmaid from the venue, posed behind a counter laden with bottles and fruit. The painting brings together several of Manet's lasting concerns: modern urban entertainment, the meeting of commerce and leisure, and a frank, frontal treatment of the figure. Much of the picture's fascination lies in the mirror. The crowd, lights and the man in the top hat exist only as reflections, and the relationship between the barmaid and her mirrored image has prompted many readings of the scene. Some viewers see a comment on the isolation of a worker amid public pleasure; others focus on the way the painting unsettles the viewer's own position in front of the bar. Practical studies, such as Malcolm Park's reconstruction in 2000, have shown that the arrangement can be achieved physically. The first owner of the painting was the composer Emmanuel Chabrier, a friend of Manet, who hung it above his piano. Today the canvas, measuring 96 by 130 cm, is part of the collection of the Courtauld Gallery in London.

Key facts

Artist	Édouard Manet
Date	1882
Size	96 × 130 cm
Medium	oil paint, canvas
Collection	Courtauld Gallery

How to visit: Courtauld Gallery

London, United Kingdom · Museum guide

Opening hours	Mon–Sun 10:00–18:00 Fri 4 Dec 2026, Fri 8 Jan 2027 10:00–20:00 (late opening for Salman Toor; last entry 19:15) 24 Dec 2026, 31 Dec 2026 10:00–15:00 (last entry 14:00) 1 Jan 2027 12:00–18:00 (last entry 17:15)
Closed	Closed 25 and 26 December 2026.
Last entry	17:15 (45 minutes before closing)
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