Clowns

Charles Demuth

1916 · Watercolor and graphite on paper · Modern and Contemporary Art

Between 1915 and 1919 Demuth produced a number of figurative watercolors as illustrations for specific literary works, and also as independent narratives that reflected his enjoyment of vaudeville, circus, social club, and music hall entertainments. The sexual permissiveness that characterized the bohemian scene in New York, where he was then living for part of the year, is often felt in these works. Here, two men, one dressed as a clown, the other in a shirt and tie, cavort suggestively.

Artist

Charles Demuth

Date

1916

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on paper

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Bequest of Charles F. Iklé, 1963