The Circus c. 19th century

Ernest Henry Griset made this drawing titled ‘The Circus’ with pen and brown ink, with watercolor over graphite. It depicts a peculiar procession that allows us to consider the social place of entertainment in the 19th century. The circus parade was a common sight in both Europe and the United States, designed to draw crowds to the main event. Here, Griset presents a scene that seems slightly off-kilter; a camel is led by a figure in a top hat and tailed by a drummer casually puffing on a pipe. But the camel carries a monkey playing the trumpet. The artist is known for such satirical animal drawings. The circus, as a spectacle, invited diverse audiences. But the imagery also carries colonial associations, as the exotic animal and its handlers would have spoken to Britain’s global reach at the time. The understanding and meaning of this artwork is hugely affected by this information about its social context, which we can better understand through historical research into popular entertainments and colonial history.