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La parada del circo

Georges Seurat French

1887–1888

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 825

La minuciosa técnica puntillista de Seurat imparte un aire intemporal y misterioso a esta escena de saltimbanquis a la entrada del Circo Corvi en París. En un escenario definido por una balaustrada, bajo la mortecina luz de nueve lámparas de gas centelleantes, el maestro de ceremonias (a la derecha) y unos músicos (a la izquierda) tocan sus instrumentos para animar a la multitud a que compre entradas. Las siluetas de sombreros de diversas formas añaden un toque sardónico y rítmico al primer plano. El artista empezó la obra en la primavera de 1887, tomando apuntes en el circo ambulante de Fernand Corvi, cuya carpa estaba montada en un distrito popular de París, y luego desarrolló la composición mediante varios estudios preparatorios. La parada del circo es una de las seis importantes composiciones figurativas creadas por Seurat durante su breve carrera, notable por ser su primer cuadro de ambiente nocturno dedicado a las diversiones populares.

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Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris), Oil on canvas

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 1. The Corvi Circus at the Gingerbread Fair, cours de Vincennes, Paris, 1906. Postcard. Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée, Marseilles

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 2. Georges Seurat, "The Tree," 1887–88. Conté crayon on paper, 11 7/8 x 9 1/2 in. (30 x 24 cm). Private collection

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 3. Georges Seurat, "Trombonist," 1887–88. Conté crayon with white chalk on paper, 12 1/4 x 9 3/8 in. (31.1. x 23.8 cm). Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Henry P. McIlhenny Collection in memory of Frances P. McIlhenny, 1986

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 4. Georges Seurat, "Ferdinand Corvi and Pony," 1887–88. Conté crayon on paper, 11 5/8 x 8 5/8 in. (29.5 x 22 cm). Private collection

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 5. Georges Seurat, "Study for 'Circus Sideshow',” 1887–88. Ink squared in graphite on paper, 4 7/8 x 7 1/2 in. (12.5 x 19 cm). Menard Art Museum, Aichi, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 6. Georges Seurat, "Study for 'Circus Sideshow',” 1887–88. Oil on wood, 6 1/2 x 10 1/4 in. (16.5 x 26 cm). Foundation E. G. Bührle Collection, Zürich

Fig. 7. "Circus Sideshow" with a diagram of Seurat's compositional grid

Fig. 8. Detail of "Circus Sideshow" (central area), macro-X-ray fluorescence map of calcium distribution, showing the chalk lines of the compositional grid and some underdrawing

Fig. 9. (right) Detail of "Circus Sideshow" (bottom right corner). (left) Macro-X-ray fluorescence map of cobalt and nickel distribution, same area, showing initial large dots of cobalt blue with no detectable cobalt (in red) and subsequent small dots of cobalt blue rich in nickel (in pink)

Título: La parada del circo

Artista: Georges Seurat, francés, 1859–1891

Fecha: 1887–1888

Material: Óleo sobre lienzo

Dimensiones: 99,7 x 149,9 cm

Crédito: Legado de Stephen C. Clark, 1960

Número de inventario: 61.101.17

Two circus monkeys appear on stage balancing atop balls, each adorned with a mauve-colored star.

How Can Art Trick Our Minds?

Instead of mixing paint colors on a palette, what happens if we let our eyes do the mixing? Learn about Pointillism and how the artist Georges Seurat used the science of optics to create a whole new way of painting!

An illustrated brain character waves a magic wand over an open sketchbook page featuring an illustrated rainbow painted with many colorful dots.

How to Make An Optical Illusion

Trick your friends with this optical illusion! Create an entire rainbow using only the primary colors — red, yellow, and blue dots.

George Seurat painting depicting a French parade, or circus sideshow

Following the Trail of (Ginger)bread Crumbs: Seurat, the Corvi Circus, and the Gingerbread Fair

Research Assistant Laura D. Corey traces the history of the Corvi Circus around the time that Georges Seurat painted his evocative depiction of the traveling troupe, Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque).

Side Notes on the Sideshow

Associate Museum Librarian for Interlibrary Services and Digital Initiatives Robyn Fleming highlights some of the books that appear in the exhibition Seurat's Circus Sideshow.

The class working on their artworks

Explore and Make Art at The Met

Emily Sutter, coordinator for Digital Learning, discovers what happens in one of the exciting Children's Classes at The Met.

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