1888
oil
vellum
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
At the Circus: The Bareback Rider (Au Cirque: Écuyère) is a 1888 oil by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a Impressionism work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
This painting shows a circus rider balancing on a horse’s back. Her pink dress stands out against the dark background. The horse lifts one leg high in the air. Lautrec often painted Paris nightlife scenes. He used bold colors and sharp lines. This work feels alive with movement and energy. Look for more by the same artist at the Art Institute of Chicago.
One of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s favorite haunts was the Cirque Fernando, also the subject of his large painting, Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando) in the collection of the Art Institute. Like many of the artists in his circle, Toulouse-Lautrec experimented with styles and materials beyond easel painting. His decision to paint on a tambourine with little castanets (called a tambour de basque ) was perhaps inspired by the instrument’s association with bohemian life and creative freedom. The shape of the tambourine mirrors that of the paper hoop held by the clown in the larger painting,…
Gustave Pellet (1859–1919), Paris, by 1926 [Joyant 1926]; by descent to his son-in-law, Maurice Exsteens (1887–1962), Paris, by 1931 [Paris 1931 exh. cat.]. M. Knoedler & Co., Inc, New York, by 1957 [New York 2010 auc. cat.]. Mrs. Charles Sherwood Payson, New York, by 1958 [New York 2010 auc. cat.]; by descent to Anonymous [New York 2010 auc. cat.]; sold, Christie’s, New York, May 11, 1988, lot 21, to Dan Searle (1926–2007), Illinois; bequeathed to Anonymous [New York 2010 auc. cat.]; offered for sale, Christie’s, New York, May 5, 2010, lot 335, bought in., sold to the Art Institute of…
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Exposition H. De Toulouse-Lautrec, 9 April–17 May 1931, no. 49. Paris, Musée de l’Orangerie, Toulouse-Lautrec, May–August 1951, no. 124 (?).
Read the full account in the museum source.
Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (French: ), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator.
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