A circus performer, waiting to go on

Like many other artists, including Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) and Georges Rouault (1871-1958), Tchelitchew found inspiration in the magical world of the circus. He became a regular visitor to the famous Le Cirque Medrano in Montmartre, transfixed by the feats of the acrobats, jugglers and other circus performers. Lots 243-244 relate to this distinct period in Tchelitchew’s oeuvre, 1927-1933, which culminated in the record-breaking ‘The Concert’ sold at Christie’s on 15 December 2016 for £1,385,000. The later inscription on the reverse of the present drawing most likely refers to Charles Levinson, otherwise known as ‘Le Vincent’, a frequent model of Tchelitchew distinguished by the rose-garland tattoo on his chest.