The Balcony
The painting was inspired by The Majas at the Balcony by Francisco Goya. It was created at the same time and with the same purpose as Luncheon in the studio. The three characters were all friends of Manet. They seem to be disconnected from each other. Berthe Morisot, on the left, looks like a romantic and inaccessible heroine, the young violinist Fanny Claus and the painter Antoine Guillemet seem to display indifference. The boy in the background is Manet's stepson, Léon. Just behind the railings, there are a hydrangea and a dog with a ball.