#le cirque

Charlie Chaplin

"Le Cirque" Nándor Gunscer 1924

oil and Ripolin on canvas, 1933

Princess Grace talking with her friend Maree Rambo as she exits Le Cirque in New York City following a luncheon with friends in the mid 1970s.

Marcel Vertes Le Cirque Original color lithograph,1947

Drawn to art made outside of the gallery system, the iconic late artist Jean Dubuffet pursued his own non-academic style in abstract installations meant to bring to mind scenes of busy urban life. Chelsea’s Pace Gallery explains that ‘Le Cirque,’ a 13’ high sculpture from 1970 currently installed on 25th Street, recreated the ‘visual frenzy of an urban plaza.’ In an accompanying letter from the artist to his dealer, Pace founder Arne Glimcher, Dubuffet points to ancient sources of inspiration for this towering, encompassing sculpture, including stones placed at crossroads or assembled for commemoration. (On view through Oct 24th. Appointments, masks and social distancing are required.) Jean Dubuffet, Le Cirque, polyurethane paint on epoxy, 13’ x 29’ x 31’, 1970-2020.

Georges Seurat, Le Cirque, 1890-1891, Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Image: mobile snapshot I took during my visit to Paris (September 2019)