Circus Art - Kees Van Dongen

As you may know (from real life or reading this blog), I work at a painting restoration studio.  We work with the auction houses a lot and I get to see really cool stuff.  And touch really expensive paintings.  Touching expensive paintings is the best, I highly recommend it.  Except at museums where you will set off alarms and have guards tackle you.  Anyway, this painting by Kees Van Dongen came across my radar a little while ago because it was in a sale, but I found myself thinking about it during aerial class at Circus to the People.  I think it is quite nifty!  And no, I can't do a crazy one armed handstand arabesque thing.

L'equilibriste

Von Dongen was a Fauvist artist who painted dancers, socialites, theater people, circus folk and prostitutes. You can read more about him on Wikipedia here.