Ladies and Gentlemen, The Circus
Clowns such as Harlequin and Pierrot as well as other circus characters have been portrayed artistically for centuries. I will discuss.
The Italian Commedia dell'Arte (late 17th century) performed in Paris. Harlequin is known as a cheerful character, whereas Pierrot is the "sad clown" with emotions of sadness and melancholy, seen as a fool, yet trusting in humanity.
Both fictitious characters can be seen in Jean-Leon Gerome's "Duel After the Masquerade" (original 1857). The character Pierrot is wounded, while the winner dressed as an American Indian, walks away with Harlequin.
French Rococo artist Antoine Watteau painted "Pierrot" AKA "Gilles" (1718-1719), seen at the Louvre, Paris.
In the Italian theater, Pierrot loses his love Columbine to Harlequin.
French artist Georges Seurat, known for his pointillism technique, painted “Pierrot with a White Pipe” in 1883.
Pablo Picasso related personally to Harlequin, a happy-go-lucky jokester, who would become his alter ego. As seen in various artistic styles by Picasso – "Acrobat and Young Harlequin" (1905) using a blend of colors from the end of his Blue Period to the beginning of his Rose Period. And a Cubist interpretation, "Harlequin Playing Guitar" (1914).
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was attracted to circuses (Molier, Fernando) and the Nouveau Cirque at a young age. He used black and colored crayons to create the series of thirty-nine (39) drawings "The Circus" (late 1880s and 1890s). He worked from memory and sketched from life.
Circus performers “under the big top” that Lautrec sketched were bareback riders, animal trainers, elephants, dogs, acrobats, tightrope walkers, and high wire artists.
Lautrec captured a private moment of a clownesse and acrobat in "Clownesse Cha-U-Kao" (1895) of the Moulin Rouge, a frequented Paris cabaret.
French artist Georges Rouault's "Clown Tragique" (1911) is an example of Fauvism with his signature use of a heavy black outline.
American painter and illustrator Maxfield Parrish created "The Lantern Bearers" (1908) showing a group of clowns (or Pierrots) holding lamps against a blue sky.
It was published as an illustration for Collier's magazine in 1910.
In film, American actor Anthony Quinn was cast in Federico Fellini's 1954 drama "La Strada" which depicts a travelling circus.
The 2021 film "Nightmare Alley" is a psychological thriller portraying a traveling carnival. Featuring Bradley Cooper, I can attest to its unexpected, and horrifying ending.
The Italian Commedia dell'Arte (late 17th century) performed in Paris. Harlequin is known as a cheerful character, whereas Pierrot is the "sad clown" with emotions of sadness and melancholy, seen as a fool, yet trusting in humanity.
Both fictitious characters can be seen in Jean-Leon Gerome's "Duel After the Masquerade" (original 1857). The character Pierrot is wounded, while the winner dressed as an American Indian, walks away with Harlequin.
French Rococo artist Antoine Watteau painted "Pierrot" AKA "Gilles" (1718-1719), seen at the Louvre, Paris.
In the Italian theater, Pierrot loses his love Columbine to Harlequin.
French artist Georges Seurat, known for his pointillism technique, painted “Pierrot with a White Pipe” in 1883.
Pablo Picasso related personally to Harlequin, a happy-go-lucky jokester, who would become his alter ego. As seen in various artistic styles by Picasso – "Acrobat and Young Harlequin" (1905) using a blend of colors from the end of his Blue Period to the beginning of his Rose Period. And a Cubist interpretation, "Harlequin Playing Guitar" (1914).
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was attracted to circuses (Molier, Fernando) and the Nouveau Cirque at a young age. He used black and colored crayons to create the series of thirty-nine (39) drawings "The Circus" (late 1880s and 1890s). He worked from memory and sketched from life.
Circus performers “under the big top” that Lautrec sketched were bareback riders, animal trainers, elephants, dogs, acrobats, tightrope walkers, and high wire artists.
Lautrec captured a private moment of a clownesse and acrobat in "Clownesse Cha-U-Kao" (1895) of the Moulin Rouge, a frequented Paris cabaret.
French artist Georges Rouault's "Clown Tragique" (1911) is an example of Fauvism with his signature use of a heavy black outline.
American painter and illustrator Maxfield Parrish created "The Lantern Bearers" (1908) showing a group of clowns (or Pierrots) holding lamps against a blue sky.
It was published as an illustration for Collier's magazine in 1910.
In film, American actor Anthony Quinn was cast in Federico Fellini's 1954 drama "La Strada" which depicts a travelling circus.
The 2021 film "Nightmare Alley" is a psychological thriller portraying a traveling carnival. Featuring Bradley Cooper, I can attest to its unexpected, and horrifying ending.
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