Miss Lala at the Fernando Circus

Edgar Degas captured the circus performer Miss Lala in her most thrilling act: Clenching a bit between her teeth, she was hoisted slowly to the circus rafters. Her strength and concentration are conveyed by the diagonal sweep formed by her outstretched arms. Degas's color palette heightens the dramatic effect; shades of electric blue contrast powerfully with Miss Lala's brown skin punctuated by a shock of black hair.

Miss Lala performed her feats of strength and agility at the Fernando Circus, which opened in northern Paris in 1875. The Circus was a popular destination for artists. In addition to Degas, who lived nearby Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Georges Seurat, each attended and painted the Circus. Degas was especially captivated by Miss Lala's arresting act and sketched her on successive nights in January 1879. This important study in pastel is one of several preparatory drawings that culminated in the artist's celebrated oil painting of Miss Lala's performance now in the National Gallery, London, which you can also find in our archive.

P.S. Welcome to the Wonderful Circus of Dame Laura Knight! Visit it here.