Toulouse-Lautrec's The Circus: Thirty-Nine Crayon Drawings in Color

About this book

A bareback riders skirt ripples in the breeze an acrobat bends his muscular limbs into a handstand and a poodle obeys a clown brandishing a whip. The circus is in town! These kaleidoscopic visions from under the big top offer audiences a series of post-Impressionistic sideshows courtesy of thirty-nine brilliant crayon drawings in the distinctive style of Toulouse-Lautrec. These scenes took place far from the artists customary haunts the bars and cafes of Montmartre. While Toulouse-Lautrec was at the height of his artistic powers he was compelled to undergo treatment for alcoholism at a country clinic. Seeking relief from his forced confinement he sketched vignettes from a local circus troupes rehearsals. His sensitive interpretations of the scenes reflect the cruelty behind the performers exotic feats as well as his self-image as an entertainer an outsider and a captive. Although these drawings are masterpieces of composition and movement the artist gave them away. The originals were scattered across Europe and America for decades until an intrepid collector tracked them down. These reproductions are the work of a noted lithographer Fernand Mourlot whose skill recaptures the color and spirit of Toulouse-Lautrecs works.