GEORGES SEURAT - 12

The Circus (1891)

This painting treats the spectator to a view of circus life.  Our eyes are drawn to the central figure of a female acrobat poised in mid-air above a white horse, which is captured mid-gallop.  The acrobat's form and the radiant hue of her costume evoke a sense of motion and fun, both characteristic of a circus performance.  Around this focal point is a variety of figures, each one playing a distinct role in the scene.

We see a ringmaster on the right.  To the lower left, a clown or jester, is identified by his costume and exaggerated reaction.  Another pair of clowns are tumbling to the right behind the ringmaster.  This is how Seurat adds a touch of humor to the composition.  Notice that the circus performers are in a space characterized by curves and spirals.  

The background is layered with audiences seated in rows, observing intently, their faces suggesting a range of reactions to the performance.  The seating is positioned on an upward slope away from the stage, to give those in the audience at the back a better view than if the seats were all on the same level.  The seating gives the viewer a sense of being part of the audience.  Seurat's pointillism creates a rich tapestry of dotted color, allowing the tones to blend and shimmer from a distance.  It was Seurat's theory that straight lines create a sense of calm and these lines appear only in the rows of seats toward the back of the painting.  Here the audience calmly watches the grand spectacle in front of them.

Seurat's composition is the most important aspect of the work and is separated into two very distinct portions.  The front section is devoted to activity, while the back section is assigned to the motionless spectators looking on.  Both are given almost equal measures of the canvas, but for entirely different purposes.  Interestingly, he created harmony by presenting opposites or contrasts.

Notice how The Circus is full of upward strokes toward the front of the painting, where most of the action is taking place.  Everything in this section is accentuated to a peak--the hair of both the clown/jester at the front and the performer on the horse.  

The audience shows the distinctions between social classes sitting in rows.  The well-dressed higher classes near the front to the lower classes in the gallery at the back.

The seating architecture is the only part of this painting that has straight vertical lines.  Some audience members sit at an angled position, and some of the hats in the scene are placed at an angle.  Seurat's piece is intended to evoke happiness and action throughout.  

The success of circuses in France meant that by 1870 there were five permanent circuses situated in Paris that performed every night.  A male performer riding a wild horse bare-back was fairly common, but for the first time the circus incorporated a female model for the daring act.  This is one of the prominent statements Seurat makes in this painting.

The Circus was Seurat's last painting and remained unfinished at his death in 1891.  The painting is exhibited at one of France's most prestigious galleries, the Musee d'Orsay, Paris.