Edgar Degas

Miss Lala at the Cirque Fernando

1879

Not on display

Artist
Edgar Degas 1834–1917
Original title
Miss Lala au Cirque Fernando
Medium
Pastel on paper
Dimensions
Support: 610 × 476 mm
frame: 750 × 620 × 60 mm
Storage transit frame: 920 × 757 × 144 mm (landscape)
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by Samuel Courtauld 1933
Reference
N04710

Display caption

This is one of a sequence of pastels and drawings, many of which were executed on the spot, which were preparatory studies for an oil painting of the same subject now in the collection of the National Gallery, London. Miss Lala was a circus acrobat whose star turn involved being hoisted to the roof suspended by her teeth. Degas very much enjoyed popular entertainments, and executed many studies of dancers and singers. It seems that he respected, and possibly sympathised with, performers who were engaged in disciplined and strenous physical activity.

Gallery label, August 2004

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Catalogue entry

You might like

In the shop