Original artwork description:

It appears to be a genre scene of people hanging out by a café terrace, enjoying some late afternoon sunshine. But the service is assured by strange beings. On the left, one of Édouard Manet’s barmaids is bringing in her famous mugs of cold brew, and behind the counter, appears Lord Yama, the god of death in far eastern mythology.

The composition of this piece is based on two canvas panels, which are braced together to form a divided whole. The pictorial elements on the right are permanently divided from those of the left, alluding to the title of the painting. The title is also suggested at the base of the painting where a cat is hiding a bird it has hunted and a dog looks on towards its possible feline prey.

Materials used:

Oil on two linen canvases

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