Clown

Rouault began closely observing and interpreting figures from the circus at the very beginning of the 20th century. The present work is an early example of these clown studies, which would prove to be his most frequent subjects throughout his career. Through his series of works studying the circus, Rouault rarely depicted the acts or the circus in a broader view, instead focusing intently on the faces of the performers, providing intimate glimpses into this widely appreciated form of entertainment. Cast in a blue light with the whites of his eyes matching his collar and hat, the sitter in the present work averts his eyes to the left. The background fades into a nebulous dark space; the large head is grounded by the subtly faded tone of his costume. Without distinctly defining physiognomy, Clown becomes part-portrait, part-character study and undoubtedly a self-reflection of the artist himself. In a letter to the philosopher, Edouard Schuré, Rouault reflects, “I saw quite clearly that the ‘Clown’ was me, was us, nearly all of us… this rich and glittering costume, it is given to us by life itself, we are all more or less clowns, we all wear a glittering costume…” (B. Dorival and I. Rouault, op. cit., p. 40). Drue Heinz proudly hung Clown above the mantel in the study, beside a portrait by Francis Bacon, undoubtedly acknowledging both works’ poignant representation of life’s glittering costume and their masterful invitation for self-identification.