Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque)

Georges Seurat’s ‘Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque)’ was first shown in 1887–88 at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Indépendants in Paris. It was one of his least admired works at the time. The painting depicts a sideshow of the Circus Corvi at place de la Nation.

This was Seurat’s first painting of a nocturnal scene and his first depiction of popular entertainment. He worked on the theme for nearly six years before completing it in 1887–88.

The painting measures 39 1/4 x 59 inches and is executed in oil on canvas. It was bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Stephen C. Clark in 1960.

Seurat’s ‘Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque)’ is noted for its formality and symmetry, described as both geometric in design and mysterious in sentiment. It influenced movements such as Fauvism and Cubism.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437654

https://oolf.net/open-art/seurat-circus-sideshow-parade-de-cirque-1887/