The artwork titled “Scene VI – Evenings down Town. Man at Bar,” created by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge in 1877, is a notable piece from the art movement known as Kitsch. This illustration serves as part of a series named “The Tale of a Wedded Life, in Ten Scenes.”
The artwork depicts a seemingly humorous scene set in a bar. A man, dressed in what appears to be period attire with a top hat, is seen at the bar counter. He is leaning in and engaging with a woman who seems to be the bartender. Both figures have exaggerated facial features, contributing to a cartoonish and satirical tone typical of Coolidge’s style. A sign in the background advertises “Lager 3ยข” and “Whisky Cocktail,” suggesting a modest and perhaps rustic establishment. The bartender is serving a mug of beer, while the man approaches her with a mug in hand. The detailed but whimsical rendering and the use of signage in the background amplify the informal and light-hearted nature of the scene.
