Jewish Museum Milwaukee recently opened its "Chagall’s Le Cirque" exhibit. It’s the first time the complete collection of Marc Chagall’s 23 color and 15 black-and-white circus themed lithographs has been shown here. The collection is also showcasing objects from Wisconsin's circus history.
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Chagall is one of the 20th century's most celebrated artists. His work is colorful, exuberant, and deeply human. Chagall's granddaughter, Bella Meyer, has been a lifelong fan of his work, and Spike Barkin — whose father helped found Milwaukee's Great Circus Parade — has similarly been a lifelong fan of his family's business: the circus.
"For adults, I think [the circus] brings out the kid in you once again, because you sort of remember and reflect about that and the magic of the circus, the circus acts, the animals, the clowns — every aspect of it is geared to sheer enjoyment," says Barkin.
Meyer adds, "I think that's also what links Chagall and the circus. So much of the Chagall world and the circus ... because both of these worlds bring out the most innocent of truth."
The exhibit, "Chagall’s Le Cirque," is on display at Jewish Museum Milwaukee through early September.
