RISD museum highlights the allure of the circus

RISD museum celebrates the circus.

From The January-February 2015 Issue

James Tissot’s painting, <i>Ladies of the Chariots</i>

James Tissot’s painting, Ladies of the Chariots | Courtesy of RISD Museum

Visit the exhibition website

RISD Museum
Providence, Rhode Island
Through February 22

Circus: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs illustrates the charms and thrills of this traveling entertainment during its heyday in Europe and America. The first modern circus appeared in London in 1768; another would debut in Newport, Rhode Island. Each offered equestrian feats. As the phenomenon grew, especially between 1850 and 1950, other animals, acrobats, clowns, and “freaks” were added. At RISD, James Tissot’s Ladies of the Chariots (circa 1883-85, above), renders circus mythology, while The Nightmare of the White Elephant (1947), by Henri Matisse, captures the dynamism of the center ring.

Published in the January-February 2015 print issue under the headline “Circus Art,” in the Harvard Squared section.

Most popular

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

The retired government professor has been a rare conservative voice on campus for decades.

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

A profile illustration of a man surrounded by colorful, whimsical text in multiple languages.

Undergraduate Column

For both American and international students, growing up is like learning a new language.

A woman with long, silver hair rests her chin on her hand, wearing a black top.

Arts & Culture

Author and Harvard Divinity School writer-in-residence Terry Tempest Williams finds beauty in the world around us.

Label showing the anatomy of a worker bee, featuring a detailed illustration.

Museums & Collections

Science and art capture the microscopic natural world.