Circus (Le Cirque) from Jazz
Henri Matisse
French, 1869–1954
1947
A vibrant pochoir print from Henri Matisse’s Jazz portfolio that compresses the thrill of a circus into flat, cut‑paper shapes and bold primary colors.
At first glance a broad field of cobalt blue is punctured by a diagonal yellow banner of fractured letters, a dynamic black acrobat silhouette, wavy white streamers, and red accents that make the scene feel like a pageant frozen mid‑leap.
Created late in Matisse’s career, this work exemplifies his innovative cut‑out and pochoir methods, translating movement and spectacle into simplified, rhythmic forms that helped reshape modern painting and printmaking.
Medium
One from a portfolio of twenty pochoirs
Dimensions
composition (irreg.): 14 1/4 x 21 15/16" (36.2 x 55.7 cm); sheet: 16 5/8 x 25 11/16" (42.2 x 65.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the artist
Accession
291.1948.2
Palette
Exhibitions
