The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 14, 2024

The Circus

The Circus

1889

attributed to Suzanne Valadon

(French, 1865–1938)
France, 19th century
oil on fabric
Unframed: 48.8 x 60 cm (19 3/16 x 23 5/8 in.)
Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.56
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Besides being a prolific painter, Suzanne Valdon served as the model for Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Description

The attribution of this painting to Suzanne Valadon has been rejected by several authorities. Others support the attribution, arguing that the painting is merely atypical because it is an early work, signed and dated 1889. Valadon did not begin to develop her mature style until 1891.She was the mother of artist Maurice Utrillo and a prolific painter herself, although she never received any formal artistic training.
  • Myria Barnwell, Nice. According to label on reverse, sold at auction in 1939. Valentine Gallery, New York, 1942. Bought by Leonard C. Hanna Jr., 12 January 1942, New York and Cleveland. Bequeathed to the CMA in 1958.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art. In Memoriam: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Reproduced: no. 40
    "Accessions of American and Canadian Museums." The Art Quarterly 21, no. 1 (Spring 1958): 82-106. Reproduced: P. 106
    Francis, Henry S. "Report for the Year 1958: Painting Department." The Bulletin of The Cleveland Museum of Art XLVI no. 6 (June, 1959): 115-122 Mentioned: p. 122
    Harkonen, Helen Bernice, and Robert Clark Nelson. Circuses and Fairs in Art. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Co, 1965. Reproduced: p. 13
    Jensen, Dean, and Rosalie Goldstein. Center Ring, the Artist: Two Centuries of Circus Art. Milwaukee, MN: Milwaukee Art Museum, 1981. Mentioned: p. 61; Reproduced: 9. 64, no. 100.
    Chong, Alan. European & American Painting in the Cleveland Museum of Art: A Summary Catalogue. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1993. Reproduced: P. 246
    Brade, Johanna. Suzanne Valadon: vom Modell in Montmartre zur Malerin der Klassischen Moderne. Stuttgart, Germany: Belser, 1994. Mentioned: p. 15,91; Reproduced: p. 32-33
    Marchesseau, Daniel. Suzanne Valadon: [exposition] 26 janvier-27 mai 1996. Martigny, Switzerland: Fondation Pierre Gianadda, 1996. Mentioned: p. 273
    D'Argencourt, Louise and Roger Diederen. The Cleveland Museum of Art: Catalogue of Paintings, Part Four; European Paintings of the 19th Century. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999. Reproduced: p. 215
  • The Hanna Collection of Modern Masterpieces. J.B.Speed Memorial Museum, Louisville, KY (February 13-March 5,1944).
    The Circus in Art. John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL (organizer) (January 20-June 1, 1977).
    Sarasota, John and Mable Ringling Museum; Gainesville, Fla., University Gallery. The Circus in Art (1976-77), 31 (repr.).
    Circus and Carnival. Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-May 15, 1970).
    Cleveland Public Library. Circus and Carnival (1970), no cat.
    Karamu House, Cleveland. Extended loan, May 1959-January 1970, June 1970-September 1975.
  • {{cite web|title=The Circus|url=false|author=Suzanne Valadon|year=1889|access-date=14 September 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1958.56