Designed by Amber, Barbara, Hannah, Kanar, Lily, Lily, Mimi and Remi, ages 16–18
Created by artist Phoebe Cummings
2021–22
Ceramic flowers and stems in a 19th-century glass vase
30 x 20 x 20 cm
Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère has many different areas of focus to draw our attention. What do you notice first? One of the most beautifully painted areas is the flower still life on the bar. It seems quite impractical for a working area but adds to the sensuous feel of the painting.
The young people commissioned this artwork from the ceramic artist Phoebe Cummings to be placed high on a shelf in The Courtauld’s Leon Kossoff Learning Centre. They wanted to bring out the tactile qualities in the details of Manet’s painting, such as this still life.
It feels especially important in our digital age to appreciate the handmade in painting and craft.