Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Like many other modernist artists, Georges Rouault often depicted circus themes in his work. However, in contrast to his contemporaries who generally favored the flashy, entertaining aspects of the performance, Rouault focused instead on the humanity of the people involved. This mixed-media portrait of three clowns with its introspective emphasis on the figures’ faces is characteristic of his treatment of the subject. Deeply religious, Rouault sought out depictions of the emotional suffering of those he considered to be victimized by bourgeois society, such as circus performers and prostitutes. Even in a world of laughter, there could be a deep sense of loneliness and melancholy. Nonetheless, clowns embodied spiritual freedom, a condition to which the artist himself aspired.