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 The Circus, by Georges Seurat, 1891, oil on canvas |
The image to the right is Le Circque (The Circus), an unfinished oil on canvas work done by Seurat in 1891.
The figure in the first row of seats, with a silk hat and a peak of hair visible under it, is the painter Charles Angrand, a friend of Seurat's. This work was exhibited in its unfinished state at the 7th Salon des Independants, from March 20 to April 27, 1891. Seurat died during the exhibition. Some critics have argued that the The Circus is a plagiarism. Similarities have been pointed out between some of Cheret's posters and Seurat's compositions. The clown is identical (only reversed) with one in a poster by Cheret of 1880, executed for the Spectacle-Promenade de l'Horloge in the Champs-Elysees. However, it has been proven that Seurat took the original design from an anonymous poster for the 1888 Nouveau Cirque, reversing the horse and the bareback rider. On an interesting note, Signac, who bought the painting at the Salon exhibition, noted in his diary: "Seurat's family, though very well off, is selling everything.'' |