[4] Their friendship was based on mutual material assistance and shared work,[4] and Fantin-Latour's picture is renowned as a representation of artistic camaraderie and community.

Fantin-Latour was fully aware that these men were not a single "school," but rather a constantly changing web of loose artistic ties and allegiances.

[2] Fantin-Latour carefully selected key figures from Manet’s circle at Café Guerbois, especially those whom he considered to be notably influential in French art.

This intention is further expressed in the intensity with which Renoir, whose head is encased by an empty frame, gazes toward Manet, whose face is strongly illuminated.

[3] On the left side of the painting, Fantin-Latour depicts a statuette of Athena, a Japanese-style ceramic pot, and a multicolor lacquered tray placed orderly on a rich, red cloth.

The statuette is representative of admiration and respect for antique tradition, and although the pot's design appears to be Japanese, it was actually created by French artist Laurent Bouvier, a former member of the Café Guerbois group and a friend of both Fantin-Latour and Manet.

[6] The composition, style of brushstroke, and dark tones chosen by Fantin-Latour give this painting characteristics of traditional Flemish portraits and seventeenth-century French realism, diverging from the movement that this group would later embody, Impressionism.

[3] Fantin-Latour achieved his first major public success with this work, which is also notable for being his first piece to have a title highlighting the space depicted rather than a specific figure or action.

Before the actual creation of the painting, Fantin-Latour spent over five years producing myriad preliminary sketches and studies in an array of media, including black charcoal, graphite on paper, and oil.