Nicole, age 18
2023
Watercolour on paper
29 x 41 cm
Oranges and Wealth relates to the theme of wealth and poverty within Manet’s ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergère’. I chose to focus on the bowl of fruit situated in the bottom right of the painting and so I created my bowl of exotic oranges.
In 1882, fruit was considered a luxury and symbolised wealth within the artwork. With the increase in worldwide trading, fruit became more accessible but still wasn’t cheap and remains a luxury for many today.
In 2023, as the cost-of-living crisis affects more households, fruit isn’t considered as a necessity compared to cheaper foods. With the rate of inflation increasing, some can only gaze upon fruit rather than having the luxury to keep it within their diet.