Writing Assignment One

Compare and Contrast A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

and Napoleon Crossing the Alps
 During the 19th century, many significant artworks were presented. Some of these works

include the famous paintings of Napoleon Crossing the Alps and A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. In

this brief comparative analysis, I will compare and contrast these paintings. To give a brief

introduction of these works, Napoleon Crossing the Alps was created by a French artist named

Jacques-Louis David during the year of 1801 (Khan Academy). A Bar at the Folies-Bergère was

introduced 31 years later in the year of 1832, which was created by another French artist named

Édouard Manet (Courtauld Institute of Art). Although these paintings were designed at different

times they have much in common. To begin, these artworks were generated using the same

medium oil on canvas. Both works were created using asymmetrical balance, implied shades and

both paintings portray a young person. Although each person presented in these paintings are of

the opposite sex they also have something in common, both are of French origin. As mentioned

before, Jacques and Édouard incorporated a creative use of asymmetrical balance, also both artist

portrays a visual art technique called implied shades. For instance, when we look at the young

woman’s left hand, her head and right hand we see an implied shape as a representation of a

triangle. This effect also appears in Napoleon’s portraits where the fingers point us to the top.

“Artists use implied lines to help direct our eyes around a composition” (Living with art p. 86).

Despite the similarities, these works also have some differences, one including social

classes. In the painting of Napoleon Crossing the Alps, it portrays the French emperor Napoleon

Bonaparte. On the other hand, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère presents a low-class woman. Both of

these people share the same French origin but with different social roles. “Napoleon's painting

resembling authority and power” (Khan Academy Par. 6) whereas A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

presents us a simple woman, one who worked at the Folies-Bergère one of the great Parisian

cafés. Hence, these artworks are of different sizes. Napoleon Crossing the Alps measures 261 x
221 cm (Khan Academy) whereas A Bar at the Folies-Bergère measures Height: 96 cm, Width:

130 cm (Courtauld Institute of Art). Both paintings were influenced by different movements.

Napoleon's portrays was influenced by the Neoclassicism movement later becoming

Romanticism. Jacques was influenced by Impressionism, a movement that develops in Paris.

 Works Cited

Courtauld, Samuel; A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. The Courtauld Institute of Art,

www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/gallery/dfa40992.html.
Gilbert, Rita. Living with Art.
McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Khan Academy. “David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps.” Khan Academy,
www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/neo-classicism/a/david-
napoleon-crossing-the-alps.