Picasso and the Circus

Made up of over three hundred works, this exhibition brings new considerations to the analysis of an ever-present theme in Picasso's long career: his connections with the world of the circus.

This show examines Picasso's connections with the circus from new perspectives. A very common motif in nineteenth-century painting, the subject would be explored in depth by Picasso at different stages in his career. He first developed his taste for the circus life in the Barcelona of the eighteen-nineties, and when he settled in Paris he would continue to frequent the travelling circuses that enlivened Parisian boulevards. It was not until 1904, however, that the circus – specifically the Cirque Medrano – became a vital artistic theme for him. From then on it took centre stage in his compositions and presided over many of his works right up until the end of his career, when he evoked the circus performances depicted during his youth, bringing Amazons and clowns back to life in desperate attempts to defy the inexorable transience of life.