A Circus Boy
Sporting tattered tights and juggling rings, this ragamuffin entertainer reflects Mancini’s fascination with the picturesque realm of street performers. The canvas, the first of several that he devoted to acrobats in the 1870s, was probably inspired by the Cirque Guillaume, a French troupe that toured his hometown of Naples. Not long after Mancini created this work, he travelled to Paris, eager to make a name for himself in the capital of the art world. This painting, presented to The Met in 1892, was the first by the artist to enter a museum.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Circus Boy
- Artist: Antonio Mancini (Italian, Albano 1852–1930 Rome)
- Date: 1872
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 59 5/8 x 28 1/2 in. (151.4 x 72.4 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Bequest of Elizabeth U. Coles, in memory of her son, William F. Coles, 1892
- Object Number: 92.1.62
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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