Scene Vi - Evenings down Town. Man at Bar 1877

This drawing, part of Coolidge's "A Tale of a Wedded Life", presents a scene of a man at a bar, a loaded symbol throughout history. The bar itself is a stage, a place of transition, of encounters, and often, of escape. Notice the beer mugs held by both figures. These vessels, simple as they may seem, are modern-day chalices, evoking ancient rituals of communal drinking. From the symposia of the Greeks to the mead halls of the Norse, the act of sharing a drink has always been deeply symbolic. The drink dulls the senses, yet heightens the emotions. This duality makes the bar the perfect setting for a drama about the man, who clearly seeks refuge. The setting "out of the frying pan into the fire" suggests a continuous cycle, a loop. The 'fire' of married life drives the man to the 'frying pan' of the bar, and so the cycle continues. This reflects our collective, subconscious urge to break free, only to find ourselves bound by new constraints.