Part of Aidan Hickey’s Ulysses series, which was exhibited in Zurich, at the UB Law, as part of the exhibit “James Joyce, Ulysses, and the Law” (April 15 to May 18, 2025).
“Bloom seeks refreshment in the crowded bar of the Ormond Hotel. Many of those present, including Stephen’s father, had been at Dignam’s funeral. They are idle, aimless men, drinking, singing and talking boisterously, in the early afternoon. Bloom eats a hearty meal but avoids involvement with the drinkers.
I had always associated this episode with Manet’s ‘Bar at the Folies-Bergères‘. The composition suited the subject perfectly and it was one of the first paintings completed.
My main (intentional) deviation from the original is the reflection of ogling customers. But the Bass bottle on the right is true to Manet. He painted it during a Parisian brewers’ strike, when British beer was imported to Paris.”
Aidan Hickey