The Balcony depicts four figures on a balcony, one of whom is sitting; the painter Berthe Morisot, who married Manet's brother Eugene in 1874. In the centre is the painter Jean Baptiste Antoine Guillemet. On the right is Fanny Claus, a violinist. The fourth figure, partially obscured in the interior's background, is possibly Leon Leenhoff, Manet's son.
The composition of this painting was criticised by conservatives. They said the green fence blocked the two figures and destroyed the whole picture. However, this kind of composition makes the painting closer to the reality. Manet intended to get rid of the intentional ideal fantasy in traditional arts, in order to "record the visual reality".
The Luncheon on the Grass
Olympia
The grand canal of Venice
A Bar at the Folies-Bergere