At the Circus (Au Cirque) from the Saltimbanques series
Pablo Picasso
Spanish, 1881–1973
1905–06, published 1913
A quiet, probing drypoint by Picasso that pairs a sturdy, well-drawn horse with faint, balletic acrobats to evoke the drama and fragility of the circus.
At first you notice the horse’s weight and textured mane—bold, sure lines that give it presence—while the two dancers behind it are drawn so lightly they read like a memory or shadow, creating a haunting contrast of solidity and ephemerality.
One of the Saltimbanques works, this print carries Picasso’s Rose Period fascination with circus life into printmaking, experimenting with line and transparency to make theatrical subjects feel intimate and mournful.
Medium
Drypoint
Dimensions
plate: 8 5/8 x 5 9/16" (21.9 x 14.2 cm); sheet: 20 1/16 x 12 15/16" (51 x 32.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
Accession
501.1940
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
![The Barbarous Dance (in Front of Salomé and Hérode) (La Danse barbare [devant Salomé et Herode]) from the Saltimbanques series](https://www.moma.org/media/W1siZiIsIjE1MjgyOSJdLFsicCIsImNvbnZlcnQiLCItcmVzaXplIDEwMjR4MTAyNFx1MDAzZSJdXQ.jpg?sha=63f3d2f620c63e29)