Manet, a French painter, made depicting his contemporaries, citizens of Paris, one of his fortes. The setting for this painting is the home of the Paris Opera, the Salle de la rue Le Peletier, which burned down in 1873. The painting has us look from the main entrance towards the lobby, in which we see black-clad upperclass men in silk top-hats and tailcoats and masked women in colorful costumes. The women are dancers and courtesans, some of whom are baring considerable flesh. With his bold, swift touch, Manet captures the excitement of the people gathered at the opera.