Clowns

Fernand Pelez, Grimaces et misères, Les saltimbanques (Detail), 1888

 Armand Henrion, Self Portrait, Clown with Monocle, c. 1920

 Pablo Picasso, Harlequin's Family With an Ape, 1905

  Ulrich Leman, Der Gaukler, 1913

 Robert Green, Palinello II, 1934

 Gino Severini, Pulcinella, 1920s

 Guillaume Seignac (1870-1924)

 Heinz Hajek-Halke, In Love, 1936

 Andres Serrano, A History of Sex (Head), 1996

 Banksy, Insane Clown, 2001

 Adolphe Mossa, Pierrot s'en va, 1906

 Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), Duel After a Masquerade Ball, n.d.

 Erich Heckel, Dead Pierrot, 1914

 Edward Hopper, Soir Bleu, 1914

 Walter Sickert, Brighton Pierrots, 1915

Sickert painted this work during the early part of the first world war, and it has a pervasive atmosphere of strangeness and melancholy. A party of Vaudeville entertainers perform on the Brighton seafront under the setting sun and artificial stage lights. Many of the deckchairs are empty, perhaps hinting at the absence of so many men in the war. The gunfire of the Western Front could sometimes be heard along the south coast of England. Against that and the deep pink of the sky, the performers seem a bit ridiculous, if not pathetic.

 Helene Schjerfbeck, Circus Girl, 1916

 Pavel Tchelitchew, Pierrot, 1930

 Charley Toorop, Clown in front of the ruins of Rotterdam, c. 1945

 Albert Bloch, March of the Clowns, 1941

 José Clemente Orozco, The Clowns of War Arguing in Hell, 1940s

 Ángel Zárraga, La mujer y el pelele, 1909

 Félicien Rops, The Woman and the Jumping Jack, c. 1890

 Carl Larsson, Self-portrait, 1906

 Béla Kontuly, White - Dressed Girl with a Clown, 1937

 Abraham Mintchine (1898 - 1931), Enfant avec arlequin, n.d.

 Paul Cézanne, Pierrot and Harlequin, 1888

 Alexandre Benois, Italian Comedy. Immodest Polichinel, 1906

 Alexander Yakovlev, Pierrot & Arlecine (Self-Portrait), 1914

 Andre Derain, Harlequin and Pierrot, 1924

 Antonio Donghi, Giocoliere, 1926

 Almada Negreiros, Study for a Theatre Decoration, 1929

 Fuseli, Scene from Ben Johnson's Play, 1791

 Félicien Rops, L'Amour Mouché, 1881

 Paul Hoecker (1854-1910), Harlekin

 Nadar, From the Deburau series, 1859

 Amandus Faure, Standing Artist and Pierrot, 1909

 Antonio Donghi, Circo equestre, 1927

 Gert Wollheim, Untitled, 1926

 Dame Laura Knight, Circus People, 1928

 Otto Griebel, Circus, 1920s

 Cesare Sofianopulo, Maschere, 1930

 Jose Gutiérrez Solana, Payasos, 1920

 Pippo Oriani, Arlequin accordeoniste, 1930

 "The Barnum & Bailey greatest show on earth Wonderful performing geese, roosters and musical donkey". Chromolithograph, 1900

 George Condo, Father and Son, 2008