![Ludwig Knaus - Behind the Scenes [1880]](http://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7711/26715324733_df8f00c2dd_b.jpg)
The travelling circus was a popular subject among artists and both the joy of the spectacle and the often challenging life “behind the scenes” were easily understood by audiences. Upon viewing the work one critic aptly described that “for their theatre” the troupe “have merely stretched some sail cloth across from tree to tree and behind this… the clown in pointed peruke and many coloured garments holds on his knee a tiny infant whom he is feeding before a little stove upon which a dish of potatoes is being kept warm, the sole supper provided for these poor players after their exertions.” Knaus’ academic training is evident in his construction of the composition as a stage itself with the figures placed in the centre foreground allowing viewers to interpret relationships between their postures and expressions.
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 80.6 x 110.4 cm]